World’s Oldest Known Wild Bird, is a Mother Again!
“Wisdom, a Laysan albatross who is now the oldest known banded bird in the world, has continued to surprise wildlife officials & her fans by reappearing every year at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific...
Now believed to be at least 65 years old, Wisdom returned again earlier this year with her mate who has been dubbed Goo or Mr. Goo by refuge staff... Wisdom was spotted earlier this winter incubating yet another egg.
Earlier this month, to the delight of her fans, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced that her newest chick was spotted & was named Kūkini, which is Hawaiian for messenger.
Wisdom was first banded back in 1956 when she was believed to be just 5-years-old & has managed to survive decades, outliving many of her relatives whose lifespans are estimated to be between 12 & 40 years in the wild. She’s also believed to have flown an incredible 6 million ocean miles since she was first tagged.
Laysan albatrosses mate for life , after engaging in an elaborate courtship ritual, & lay only one egg every year... Wisdom has raised at least 8 chicks since 2006, & as many as 40 throughout her life.
‘Wisdom is an iconic symbol of inspiration & hope,’ said Robert Peyton, Refuge Manager. ‘...In the case of Wisdom, she is breaking longevity records of previously banded birds by at least a decade...’
...In December, the agency counted 470,000 active nests across the entire atoll, which is now the largest albatross nesting colony in the world...
The Audubon Society is pushing for legislation in the form of the Albatross & Petrel Conservation Act of 2016... which will bring the U.S. in line with other countries that are working to protect these seabirds under the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses & Petrels..."
Alicia Graef
February 15/2016
care2.com
Cute Critter Pic
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