The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) was thrilled to see Wisdom return to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge to mate, according to Discovery. The Laysan albatross was first banded in 1956 and is guessed to now be 64 years old.
Settling in to mate, Wisdom has nested consecutively at a USFWS refuge in the northern Pacific Ocean just outside the Hawaiian Islands, home to the world's largest albatross colony. With decades of observation on Wisdom, the USFWS has seen her raise three dozen chicks and has more than six million miles of flight time logged.
The albatross population is classified on the IUCN as Near Threatened, with plastic ingestion and human contact being their steady threats. In the past, their population was devastated by commercial driftnet fishery, which killed about 17,500 in 1990. However, with considerable improvements on the driftnet threat, what was a rapidly declining population has managed to stabilize, bringing hope to the future of the giant seabirds.
Refuge staff is thrilled to see their friend Wisdom back again.
"We are a part of the fate of Wisdom and it is gratifying to see her return because of the decades of hard work conducted to manage and protect albatross nesting habitat," refuge manager Dan Clark said.
She's BACK! world's oldest/banded/wild bird is 64 & named Wisdom. Amazing story: https://t.co/WMZjFnJ9W3 pic.twitter.com/c3zJqmqDTS
— US Fish and Wildlife (@USFWS) November 30, 2015
Laysan albatrosses typically lay one egg each year and spend six months rearing and feeding their young.
"Wisdom left soon after mating but we expect her back any day now to lay her egg," deputy refuge manager Bret Wolfe said, according to The Telegraph. "It is very humbling to think that she has been visiting Midway for at least 64 years."
"Navy sailors and their families likely walked by her not knowing she could possibly be rearing a chick over 50 years later," Wolfe added.
With the huge population of albatross at Midway Atoll, they have seen it all, including the teenage albatrosses learning to fly in this adorable video made at Midway Atoll. With their huge duck feet running across the water as they practice take offs and flight, it is too funny not to share. The insane hair-dos the teens have are just icing on the cake. Enjoy!
"In the face of dramatic seabird population decreases worldwide -- 70% drop since the 1950's when Wisdom was first banded -- Wisdom has become a symbol of hope and inspiration," Clark said.
