Old Bird, New Mom A Laysan albatross known as Wisdom — believed
to be at least 62 years old — has hatched a chick on Midway
Atoll National Wildlife Refuge for the sixth consecutive year.
This is pretty old to give birth for any species. During the
morning hours on Sunday, the chick was observed pipping its way
into the world by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Pete
Leary, who said the chick appears healthy. Wisdom was first
banded in 1956, when she was incubating an egg in the same area
of the refuge. She was at least five years old at the time. 5 to
62 and still giving birth to youngsters. That is a dedicated
mom. The Laysan Albatross is a large seabird that ranges across
the North Pacific. 99.7% of the population is found on the
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This small (for its family) two-
tone gull-like albatross is the second most common seabird in
the Hawaiian Islands, with an estimated population of 2.5
million birds, and is currently expanding (or possibly re-
expanding) its range to new island