He is 70 years old and is considered the oldest wild bird in the world. On February 1, Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, had a chick in the Midway Islands, an archipelago belonging to the United States located in the Pacific, near Hawaii.
Biologists first saw the egg on Friday, January 29, and Wisdom’s chick made it into the world a few days later. It is estimated that this albatross has had between 30 and 36 children throughout its very long life.
Although albatrosses mate for life, they can find new mates if necessary, for example, if they outlive their first mate, says US Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Beth Flint. at least 70 years, we understand that Wisdom has had several partners.
Albatrosses don’t usually lay eggs every year, and when they do, they only lay one egg, explains the agencies. Every chick that reaches adulthood makes a difference for the future of the albatross population, he says.
SHARED PARENTING
The incubation period for an albatross lays an egg lasts about 65 days, so Wisdom laid her egg at the end of November. Soon after, he returned to the sea in search of food, and his partner Akeakamai took over the incubation duties.
Albatross parents share the incubation duties and, once the chick hatches, they share the feeding duties. Wisdom and Akeakamai’s chick will be flying in early summer.
