World’s oldest known wild bird is a mother again on Midway Atoll

By Nina Wu 

February 8, 2019

Updated February 8, 2019 2:58pm

Wisdom’s mate, Akeakamai, watches over the new albatross chick this week at Midway Atoll. Wisdom, estimated to be 68 years old, hatched this chick over the past week.

Wisdom, the world’s oldest-known wild bird, has hatched yet another chick at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.

The Laysan albatross supermom is at least 68 years old, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials, and has given birth to and raised at least 31 chicks in her lifetime.

Wildlife officials first spotted Wisdom at her nest site at Midway on Nov. 29, where she soon laid an egg. The chick hatched this week, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

“She’s incredibly powerful as a symbol of why we do what we do and why people all over the world pay attention to her,” said Beth Flint, a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, in a news release. “Wisdom is rewriting history about our understanding of survivorship, how long birds live, and how often they breed.”

Laysan albatrosses mate for life, and only one egg is laid per year, so they do not commonly return every year to do so. Since 2006, however, Wisdom and her mate, Akeakamai, have returned to Midway Atoll at Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument to lay and hatch an egg.

After the egg is laid, the albatross parents spend about seven months incubating it. They take turns, with one incubating the egg, while the other forages for food. After another five to six months, the chicks fledge, or fly out to sea, where they spend most of their lives soaring over the ocean and feeding on squid and fish eggs.

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World's oldest-known bird lays another egg

11/12/2018

Having raised at least 30 youngsters previously, a 68-year-old Laysan Albatross is nesting once again. The female, fondly known as Wisdom, is thought to have laid as many as 35 eggs in her lifetime at Midway Atoll National Wildlife refuge, a tiny island 1,931 km northwest of Hawaii, in the Pacific Ocean.

Wisdom has led to scientists re-evaluating the age to which albatrosses are expected to live. Her current partner has been with her since 2006, though his age is unknown. During her lifetime, it's estimated that Wisdom has travelled an astonishing 4,828,032 km.

The chick she produced in 2001 was last year seen just a few feet away from her on the Atoll and Kelly Goodale, US Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge (USFWS) Biologist, said: "Midway Atoll's habitat doesn't just contain millions of birds, it contains countless generations and families of albatrosses.

"If you can imagine when Wisdom returns home she is likely surrounded by what were once her chick and potentially their chicks. What a family reunion!"

USFWS data shows that nearly 70 per cent of the world's Laysan Albatrosses and almost 40 per cent of Black-footed Albatrosses rely on the reserve. In total, approximately three million birds breed on the island – 1.2 million of them being albatrosses – demonstrating the immense international importance of the site.

Widsom was first ringed in 1956. Incredibly, she was then rediscovered in 2002 by the same biologist who ringed her some 46 years previous, while surveying an area he hadn't visited before. In 2006 she was seen again and from that point, after her age was recognised, she began to be monitored regularly.

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World's Oldest Known Wild Bird Lays Egg at 67

Wisdom is a "beacon of hope" for the Laysan albatross, which faces threats such as ingesting ocean plastic.

  

By Christine Dell'Amore

PUBLISHED JANUARY 2, 2018

Wisdom, the albatross supermom, has done it again. At 67, the world's oldest known wild bird has laid an egg at her home on the Midway Atoll.

Wisdom and her mate, Akeakamai, return each year to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument to nest and raise a single chick. On December 13, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) confirmed the pair were incubating a new egg.

In her long life, Wisdom has outlived several mates and raised anywhere from 30 to 35 chicks. (See National Geographic's pictures of animal mothers and babies.)

  

She's also remarkable for having logged an estimated two to three million miles since 1956—or four to six round trips to the moon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (Related: "Albatross's Effortless Flight Decoded—May Influence Future Planes.")

"It's just unprecedented that we have a bird that we know of that's 67 years old and still reproducing," says Kate Toniolo, deputy superintendent for the marine national monument.

"It makes you wonder—could there be a bird two nests away from Wisdom that's even older?"

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World’s oldest wild bird just hatched another egg at 66

February 22, 2017

by Chuck Bednar

The Laysan albatross believed to own the title of the world’s oldest known avian has hatched a new chick for the second straight year – no small feat for the approximately 66-year-old bird, as it takes approximately seven months to incubate an egg and raise a chick.

In a statement released late last week, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) revealed that the albatross named Wisdom, who has been living at Hawaii’s Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial for more than six decades, had finally hatched an egg she that was first spotted incubating back in early December.

Wisdom, who according to NPR was first banded by biologist Chandler Robbins in 1956, has given birth to at least 30 to 35 chicks, said Bob Peyton, USFWS Service Project Leader for the Refuge and Memorial. When not incubating eggs, the agency said that she is typically extremely active, having flown an estimated three million miles over the course of her life.

“Wisdom continues to inspire people around the world,” Peyton explained. “Because Laysan albatross don’t lay eggs every year and when they do, they raise only one chick at a time, the contribution of even one bird to the population makes a difference.”

“Laysan albatross and other seabirds depend on the habitat protected by Midway Atoll and other Pacific remote wildlife refuges to raise their young. Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers, we have been able to restore the native habitat that the birds need for nesting sites, ensuring a future for these seabirds,” he added.


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World's Oldest Wild Bird Just Became a Mom for the 40th Time

by Laura Geggel, Staff Writer   |   February 12, 2016 11:57am ET

The world's oldest known wild bird just added a new chick to the family — her 40th one, experts say.

The Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis), named Wisdom, is at least 65 years old but shows no signs of slowing down. Wildlife officials at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in Hawaii saw her lay an egg on Nov. 28, 2015, and incubate it for several weeks. 

A fuzzy, gray chick cracked out of its shell on Feb. 1. But Wisdom wasn't there when the baby chick hatched: She had headed out to sea on Jan. 20, leaving her mate on nest duty. She returned just after Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 7) with a full belly and settled down on the nest, allowing her mate to fly off to sea in search of food, officials said. 

http://www.livescience.com/53621-oldest-living-wild-bird-mother-albatross.html

When I'm sixty-four: world's oldest tracked bird returns to refuge with mate

Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, was spotted at mating ground on Midway Atoll after a year’s absence and is expected to grow her brood, estimated at 36 chicks

Oliver Milman

Monday 30 November 2015 21.33 GMTLast modified on Monday 30 November 201521.47 GMT

The world’s oldest living tracked bird has returned to US soil to lay an egg at the sprightly age of 64.

Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, was spotted at the Midway Atoll national wildlife refuge with a mate, following a year’s absence. It’s expected that Wisdom will use the world’s largest nesting albatross colony, located north-west of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, to raise another chick.

The new arrival complements an impressive brood; researchers estimate that Wisdom has raised as many as 36 chicks in her lifetime. Wisdom was first tagged with a band in 1956. Given that Laysan albatross do not return to breed until they are at least five years old, it’s estimated that Wisdom is 64 years old, although she could be older.

Laysan albatrosses typically lay one egg a year, spending more than 130 days incubating it. The birds, which can have a wingspan of up to 7ft (2 meters), can forage hundreds of miles out to sea for food such as squid. It’s thought Wisdom has notched up around 6m ocean miles of flight.

Dan Clark, manager of the wildlife refuge, said Wisdom had become a “symbol of hope and inspiration” in the face of a precipitous decline in seabirds. An estimated 70% of the creatures have disappeared worldwide since the 1950s.

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Two rare albatrosses rehabbed at bird center and released off San Pedro coast

By Carley Dryden, Daily Breeze

POSTED: 04/02/15, 3:54 PM PDT | UPDATED: 16 MINS AGO

They were rescued separately, one trapped between cargo containers on a ship into Long Beach, the other in the middle of the desert, but two rare albatrosses were released together Thursday afternoon in the ocean off San Pedro.

 (Scott Varley / Daily Breeze) 

With their striking gray and black eyes against a snow-white head and enormous wingspan, Laysan albatrosses are a sight to behold, if one is lucky enough to see one. The rare seabirds typically settle on remote islands in the North Pacific. But over the past couple of weeks, the adult birds have been gliding across a small pool at the International Bird Rescue Center in San Pedro, awaiting the OK for their release.

The bird rescued March 21 from the Port of Long Beach was drenched in grease and cleaned by center staff, but otherwise healthy. The man who found the bird estimated that it had been stuck between the cargo containers for up to 10 days.

The other bird was found March 20 near a construction site in the desert city of Rancho Mirage, 100 miles from the Pacific Ocean.

“He got marooned in the desert, literally,” said Julie Skoglund, the center’s operations manager. “Albatrosses need wind and a runway to take off.”

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Oldest furious bird in the world has given birth!

Things you may not have known, but probably should know because they are fantastic, especially not by the great-ness: 1) oldest known wild bird in the world is a female albatross 63 years of age. 2) It's called "Wisdom." 3) Wisdom has just given birth.

"As the world's oldest known bird in the wild, Wisdom is an iconic symbol of inspiration and hope for all seabird species" said Dan Clark, refuge manager for Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, in a news release. He continues:

She provides to the world valuable information about the longevity of these beautiful creatures. In the case of Wisdom, she has logged literally millions of miles over the Pacific Ocean in her lifetime to find enough fish eggs and squid to feed herself and multiple chicks, allowing us the opportunity to measure the health of our oceans which sustain albatross as well as ourselves.

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World’s Oldest-Known Wild Bird Hatches Another Chick

Released: 2/4/2013 4:33:23 PM

Editors: Pictures of Wisdom’s chick available online

MIDWAY ATOLL — A Laysan albatross known as "Wisdom" – believed to be at least 62 years old – has hatched a chick on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge for the sixth consecutive year.

During the morning hours on Sunday, the chick was observed pipping its way into the world by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Pete Leary, who said the chick appears healthy. Wisdom was first banded in 1956, when she was incubating an egg in the same area of the refuge. She was at least five years old at the time.

"Everyone continues to be inspired by Wisdom as a symbol of hope for her species," said Doug Staller, the Fish and Wildlife Service superintendent for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (Monument), which includes Midway Atoll NWR.

Staff and volunteers stationed on Midway are responsible for monitoring the health of the beautiful seabirds that arrive every year by the hundreds of thousands to nest. Upon the seabirds' arrival, field staff monitor them and gather information for one of the longest and oldest continuous survey data sets for tropical seabirds in the world.

Wisdom has worn out five bird bands since she was first banded by U.S. Geological Survey scientist Chandler Robbins in 1956. Robbins estimated Wisdom to be at least 5 years old at the time, since this is the earliest age at which these birds breed. Typically, they breed at 8 or 9 years of age after a very involved courtship lasting over several years so Wisdom could be even older than 62.

Bruce Peterjohn, chief of the North American Bird Banding Program at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD, said Wisdom has likely raised at least 30 to 35 chicks during her breeding life, though the number may well be higher because experienced parents tend to be better parents than younger breeders. Albatross lay only one egg a year, but it takes much of a year to incubate and raise the chick. After consecutive years in which they have successfully raised and fledged a chick, the parents may take the occasional next year off from parenting. Wisdom is known to have nested in 2006 and then every year since 2008.

"As Wisdom rewrites the record books, she provides new insights into the remarkable biology of seabirds," Peterjohn said. "It is beyond words to describe the amazing accomplishments of this wonderful bird and how she demonstrates the value of bird banding to better understand the world around us. If she were human, she would be eligible for Medicare in a couple years yet she is still regularly raising young and annually circumnavigating the Pacific Ocean. Simply incredible."

Sue Schulmeister, manager of the Midway Atoll NWR, said, "Wisdom is one is one of those incredible seabirds that has provided the world valuable information about the longevity of these beautiful creatures and reinforces the importance of breeding adults in the population. This information helps us measure the health of our oceans that sustain albatross."

Almost as amazing as being a parent at 62 is the number of miles this bird has likely logged – about 50,000 miles a year as an adult – which means that Wisdom has flown at least 2 to 3 million miles since she was first banded. Or, to put it another way, that's 4 to 6 trips from the Earth to the Moon and back again with plenty of miles to spare.

Read on:  http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3504

US issues permits for albatross 'bycatch' - Bird group disappointed

Permits won't improve current situation
September 2012. On August 20, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued a permit under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) authorizing a limited number of seabirds to be killed or injured by Hawaiian swordfish vessels.

This action is the first permit ever issued under the MBTA - America's foremost law protecting migratory bird species - to regulate the "take" of migratory birds in the operation of an otherwise lawful commercial activity.

Black-footed and Laysan albatrosses killed by swordfish boats

Until now, only regulation under the Endangered Species Act had been used to prevent seabird deaths caused by commercial longline fishing, and then only in relation to the endangered Short-tailed Albatross. It has been well-known for decades that Hawaiian swordfish boats kill and injure Black-footed and Laysan albatrosses. The birds are attracted to and dive on baited hooks, becoming ensnared in lines or impaled by the hooks and dragged under the surface to be drowned. However, the MBTA had not historically been applied to this fishery because the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS - the federal agency that oversees the U.S. fishing fleet) had asserted that the areas where it operates, federal waters and on the high seas, lie outside the jurisdiction of the MBTA. But NMFS evidently reversed their position in 2011, when they decided to apply for this permit.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/albatross-bycatch-permits.html