Wisdom the world's oldest breeding bird set to become a mother again
(Picture: Madalyn Riley/USFWS)The world’s oldest bird, Wisdom the albatross, has hatched a chick at the age of 70.
She hatched the chick on February 1 in the Midway Atoll national wildlife regue in the North Pacific.
The albatross’ long-term mate, Akeakamai, fathered the chick.
US Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Dr Beth Flint, said in an article on medium: “At least 70 years old, we believe Wisdom has had other mates.
“Though albatross mate for life, they may find new partners if necessary — for example if they outlive their first mate.”
The biologists estimate Wisdom may have hatched at least 30-36 chicks in her lifetime.
Wisdom lay her egg sometime at the end of November and then returned to the sea to forage while her mate Akeakamai took over incubation duties.
The Midway Atoll Refuge and Memorial is located on the far northern end of the Hawaiian achipelago and is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The biologists first identified and banded Wisdom in 1956 and the first albatross to be banded on Midway Atoll was in 1936.
Since then, the biologists have banded more than 275,000 at the Refuge and memorial.
Dr Flint said: “Each year that Wisdom returns, we learn more about how long seabirds can live and raise chicks.
“Her return not only inspires bird lovers everywhere, but helps us better understand how we can protect these graceful seabirds and the habitat they need to survive into the future.”
