Scientists: Oldest wild bird in US is new mother

US Geological Survey

In this Febuary 2011 photo provided by the US
Geological Survey, a Laysan albatross, roughly
60-years-old, named Wisdom is seen with a chick
at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge near
Hawaii. A U.S. Geological Survey scientist first
banded the seabird as she incubated an egg in
1956. She was estimated to be at least five years
old at the time. The albatross has since worn out
five bird bands.

The Associated Press

The oldest known wild bird in the U.S. is a new mother. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist spotted the Laysan albatross that's at least 60 years old a few weeks ago. It was with a chick at Midway Atoll, a remote wildlife refuge 1,300 miles northwest of Honolulu.

A U.S. Geological Survey scientist first banded the seabird as she incubated an egg in 1956. She was estimated to be at least 5 years old at the time. The albatross has since worn out five bird bands.

Bruce Peterjohn, the chief of the North American Bird Banding Program, said the albatross is the oldest wild bird documented by the 90-year-old bird banding program, which is run by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and Canada.

"She looks great," Peterjohn said in a news release Tuesday. "To know that she can still successfully raise young at age 60-plus, that is beyond words."

The bird, named Wisdom, has likely raised at least 30 to 35 chicks during her life, Peterjohn said.

Albatross lay just one egg a year. But it takes most of a year to incubate and raise a chick, and the seabirds sometimes take a year off from parenting after successfully raising a fledged bird.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/08/2708763/scientists-oldest-wild-bird-in.html