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Mar 21, 2011

60-year-old albatross gives birth

This is Wisdom, one of the world's oldest known wild birds (60+ years) who has just given birth to what is probably the 35th chick in her lifetime.   Wisdom is a Layson Albatross who lives on Sand Island, in the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific Islands.   Not did she just give birth but she survived the recent Japan tsunami that killed many of her neighbours and their young on the island they share.    Wisdom was first banded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1959, when she was about five years old and was incubating what was probably her first egg.   Over the years she was re-banded six times.   Wisdom is the oldest wild specimen in American records, documented during the 90-year history of the U.S. and Canadian bird-banding research program.   Wisdom is estimated to have put in two to three million miles of flight time in her lifetime.   Chandler Robbins, a USGS scientist, was the first to band Wisdom in 1956 and he repeated the feat, 45 years later, in 2001.   Thanks to my former business colleague, Sandra Althoff for drawing this item to my attention.   (Photo by John Klavitter / US Fish & Wildlife Service)
Please comment if you wish.
BtheB

1 comment:

Εφη Μηδιατη said...

i dislike banding but it serves us to learn some more about animals.banding is annoying to anyone.i see now they will put it on all animals if they can.even to us humans.they put chips in bigger animals and soon it will come our turn.very cute are albatross birds.they live many years as i see.i think they are not comestible that is why are off the danger to be eaten from us huuuungry people.i prefer to be vegetarian but the other 2 in our home not.so i cook for all the same dishes.we could eat mushrooms instead of meat.or soya somethigs[so tasteless].