U.S.’s Oldest Wild Bird Becomes a Mother at Age 60

A 60-year-old Laysan albatross named Wisdom, the oldest known wild bird in the U.S., recently hatched a new chick in the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, a U.S. territory northwest of the main Hawaiian Island. Biologists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service say the bird also nested in recent years and has likely raised 30 to 35 chicks during her lifetime. She has also worn out five metal leg bands since she was first banded by scientists in 1956 when she was five years old. Albatrosses are believed to live longer than any other bird in the wild. Bruce Peterjohn, chief of the North American Bird Banding Program, said Wisdom is an example of the valuable data that banding provides about bird life spans, migratory patterns, and breeding. In addition, Littlejohn said, Wisdom’s longevity illustrates the importance of conservation efforts to protect adult albatrosses. While the Laysan albatross is not listed as endangered, 19 of 21 albatross species are threatened with extinction as a consequence of lead poisoning, pollution, and long-line fishing.