Albatross returns home with a mate at the age of 64
The world's oldest known bird in the wild has returned to her refuge with a mate at the age of around 64.
Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, was spotted at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the US on November 19 - almost a year to the day since she last visited the refuge. She has since laid an egg and both her and her mate have been observed incubating it.
Male and female laysan albatrosses take it in turns to incubate and shelter their egg, with the male taking the first shift to give the female a chance to replenish their fat reserves.
Once the egg hatches, both parents will share responsibility for feeding and rearing the chick.
Wisdom was first banded in 1956 and it is estimated she is about 64, though she could be older. She is thought to have raised as many as 36 chicks.
Commenting on her return, refuge manager Dan Clark, said: "In the face of dramatic seabird population decreases worldwide - 70 per cent drop since the 1950s when Wisdom was first banded - Wisdom has become a symbol of hope and inspiration.
"We are 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."
Photo by Kiah Walker/USFWS/CC BY 2.0
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