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Livescience_2013 05189.txt

#Oldest Known Wild Bird Hatches Healthy Chick The oldest known wild bird in the United states has hatched a chick for the sixth year in a row. The Laysan albatross named Wisdom thought to be at least 62 years old hatched a healthy-looking chick on Sunday (Feb 3) according to a statement from the U s. Department of the interior. Wisdom and her young chick inhabit Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) which is famous for itsâ Laysan albatrossâ population. Everyone continues to be inspired by Wisdom as a symbol of hope for her species said Doug Staller the Fish and Wildlife Service superintendent for the Papahä naumokuä kea Marine National monument which encompasses Midway Atoll NWR. Wisdom was banded first in 1956 while incubating an egg; bands are attached to the legs of birds to help scientists track and study them. At the time she was estimated to be at least 5 years old. This is the youngest these birds breed though they more typically mate at age 8 or 9 after an involved courtship lasting several years. So she may be even older than 62 andâ is still breeding according to the release. As Wisdom rewrites the record books she provides new insights into the remarkable biology of seabirds said Bruce Peterjohn head of the bird banding program at the U s. Geological Survey in the statement. If she were human she would be eligible for Medicare in a couple years yet she is still regularly raising young and annually circumnavigating the Pacific ocean. Simply incredible. The bird has hatched likely 30 to 35 chicks in her long life although that number might be said higher Peterjohn in the release. Laysan albatross have a wingspan of 6 feet (2 meters) and fly about 50000 miles a year as adults. This means Wisdom has flown at least 2 million to 3 million miles (3 million to 5 million kilometers) since being banded according to the statement. Â That's the same distance as up to six trips from the Earth to the moon and back. All but two of the 21 species of albatross are threatened with extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Wisdom has seen a lot in her day and always survived to continue propagating her species. In 2011 sheâ survived the 5-foot (1. 5 meters) tsunamiâ the hit Midway after Japan's 9. 0-magnitude earthquake. The tsunami killed an estimated 2000 adult albatrosses and about 110000 chicks in the wildlife refuge. Midway lies close to the northwestern end of the Hawaiian islands about one-third of the way between Honolulu and Tokyo. The atoll is unincorporated an U s. territory. Reach Douglas Main atâ dmain@techmedianetwork. com. Follow him on Twitterâ@Douglas main. Follow Ouramazingplanet on Twitterâ@OAPLANET. We're also onâ Facebookâ andâ Google+n

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