Science Corner - Wisdom the Albatross!
Wisdom, perhaps the most recognized, noteworthy and adored Laysan Albatross, has returned to the Midway Atoll for yet another round of parenting! At the age of 75(!), Wisdom has outlived at least one very long-term mate, Akeakamai (2006-2021) and has been recently observed with a currently unnamed male taking turns incubating her (likely) 61st(!!) bundle of joy!
Laysan Albatross, or Moli, (Phoebastria immutabilis) are large gull-like seabirds native to the North Pacific that belong to the Diomedeidae. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, or Leeward Hawaiian Islands, located northwest of the island of Kauai, are primarily uninhabited and are classified as part of Honolulu County in the state of Hawaii. The Midway Atoll (a sinking ring-shaped volcanic island encircled by a growth of corral around a central lagoon) is part of the Leeward Island chain and is classified as a territory of the United States rather than part of the state of Hawaii. The total land area of these islands is just over three square miles and is home to 99% of the entire breeding Laysan Albatross population. They are the second most regionally common seabird on the Hawaiian Islands with a population of nearly 1.2 million birds. In the 1920’s the entire Laysan Albatross population had declined to just 18,000 pairs due to feather and egg collecting. By the 1950’s the population had again climbed to 200,000 breeding pairs.
This is where Wisdom the Albatross enters the picture. She was first banded in 1956 by legendary United States Fish and Wildlife ornithologist Chandler Robbins, father of the North American Breeding Bird Survey (or affectionately known as the Christmas Bird Count) and co-author of one of the most influential bird field guilds - Birds of North America: A Guide to Field Identification which became known as the “Golden Guide”. At the time of her banding she was estimated to be at least five years old, the youngest age for a Laysan Albatros to breed. Robbins has said that he had a personal challenge with Wisdom to see who will be the last one that returns to the Midway Atoll. Chandler Robbins passed away in 2017 at age 98 awarding Wisdom the titleholder of that challenge.
Laysan Albatrosses spend 90% of their lives at sea hunting fish, squid, octopus, cuttlefish, crustaceans and other invertebrates. Every autumn they return to land mainly to scratch a nest in the sand and commence their yearly laying of the egg with their long-term partners. For Wisdom, this autumn equals her 69th trip back to the Midway Atoll. She is the oldest known living wild bird and the oldest banded bird in the world. To put that into perspective, she’s been making the trip back to her nesting grounds since Dwight D. Eisenhower was president!
During her lifetime it is estimated that Wisdom has flown at least three million miles, equal to 12 and a half trips to the moon and back or driving around the Earth 120 times. She has likely laid between 50 and 60 eggs and has fledged some 30 chicks. She has survived natural disasters including earthquakes and tsunamis and unnatural disasters like long-line fishing, plastic pollution, lead poisoning and human-caused changes to her breeding ground. Her adult grandchildren have returned to rear their own babies alongside her. She has been the main character in children’s books and the subject of several news reports including those by NBC, CBS, CNN and PBS. She’s been featured in publications by Smithsonian, the New York Times, Forbes Magazine and has become a social media darling and influencer on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and YouTube.
Laysan Albaross mate for life and Wisdom has outlived several partners and six aluminum bands. She has worn band number Z333 for nearly seven decades - perhaps her next band should be platinum!
-Kristie Ehrhardt (kehrhardt@tuleyome.org)
Tuleyome Land Conservation Program Manager
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