In pics: World's oldest known wild bird lays her 60th egg, becomes a mom at the age of 74
Wisdom was first branded as an adult in 1956. She is one of the millions seabirds that return to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge annually.
The oldest known wild bird in the world has laid an egg at the ripe age of about 74, her first in four years, US wildlife officials said.
The long-winged seabird named Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, returned to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge at the northwestern edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago and laid what experts estimate may be her 60th egg, the Pacific Region of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said in a Facebook post this week.
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Check out the post here:
Social media's reaction:
An individual wrote, “I met a black vulture, Orville, in 2016 that was an educational animal with Audubon in Massachusetts. We had no exact age on him, but the director I worked with said that Orville was a fully grown adult in 1977 when he started working at that location.” Another added, “Incredible! Wisdom, you are my heroine!”
A third commented, “So very, very awesome! Thank you for sharing!” A fourth joined, “That’s phenomenal! You go, grand dame of Midway.”
Wisdom's story:
Wisdom and her mate, Akeakamai, had returned to the atoll in the Pacific Ocean to lay and hatch eggs since 2006. Laysan albatrosses mate for life and lay one egg per year. But Akeakamai has not been seen for several years and Wisdom began interacting with another male when she returned last week, officials said.
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“We are optimistic that the egg will hatch,” Jonathan Plissner, supervisory wildlife biologist at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge said in a statement. Every year, millions of seabirds return to the refuge to nest and raise their young.
Albatross parents take turns incubating an egg for about two months. Chicks fly out to sea about five to six months after hatching. They spend most of their lives flying over the ocean and feeding on squid and fish eggs.
Wisdom was first banded as an adult in 1956 and has raised as many as 30 chicks, Plissner said.
The typical lifespan of a Laysan albatross is 68 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.