Skip to content
Network For Animals Logo
Network For Animals Logo
  • How we take action
    • Cats In Crisis
    • Disaster Relief
    • Dogs In Distress
    • Equine Care & Rescue
    • Ukraine War
    • Worldwide Donkey Crisis
  • News
  • About
    • Meet Our Team
    • Financials
    • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • How we take action
    • Cats In Crisis
    • Disaster Relief
    • Dogs In Distress
    • Equine Care & Rescue
    • Ukraine War
    • Worldwide Donkey Crisis
  • News
  • About
    • Meet Our Team
    • Financials
    • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Donate
Donate now
  • How we take action
    • Cats In Crisis
    • Disaster Relief
    • Dogs In Distress
    • Equine Care & Rescue
    • Ukraine War
    • Worldwide Donkey Crisis
  • News
  • About
    • Meet Our Team
    • Financials
    • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Donate
Menu
  • How we take action
    • Cats In Crisis
    • Disaster Relief
    • Dogs In Distress
    • Equine Care & Rescue
    • Ukraine War
    • Worldwide Donkey Crisis
  • News
  • About
    • Meet Our Team
    • Financials
    • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Donate

Wisdom, The Oldest Bird On Record, Welcomes Another Chick!

  • March 11, 2021
  • News
Wisdom the oldest bird on record

A wild Laysan albatross named Wisdom is proving age is but a number – and that you’re never too old to be a mom!

At 70, Wisdom is no spring chicken, but that doesn’t mean she’s ready to give up on the joys of parenthood just yet. In heart-warming news, Wisdom has just welcomed another chick into the world.

Albatrosses lay one egg per year, and Wisdom has laid some 30-40 eggs in her lifetime. Late last year, it was reported that Wisdom was again incubating an egg. The chick hatched on February 1, 2021.

Wisdom is part of a 2.5 million-strong flock of albatross living in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the longest-living member of the flock, surpassing the expected lifespan of 50 years in the wild by a whopping two decades!

Wisdom hatched in or around 1951. Five years later, she was tagged by a bird biologist named Chandler Robbins, who found her nest near a U.S. Navy barracks. To accommodate her longevity, her tag has been replaced six times

It’s believed that Wisdom has flown over 3,000,000 miles (4,800,000 km) since 1956 – roughly 120 times the circumference of the Earth!

She has lived a daring and adventurous life, even surviving the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that killed an estimated 2,000 adult Laysan and black-footed albatrosses and many chicks.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) office in the Pacific Islands, Wisdom laid her “latest egg” sometime during the last few days of November 2020. Not long after, she returned to sea to forage, and her mate Akeakamai took over incubation duties.

While albatrosses put all their eggs in one basket when it comes to love – mating for life – they might seek out new partners if one should pass away. Wisdom has most likely had various partners over the years as she outlived her mates. She and Akeakamai, however, have been a couple since at least 2010 and have raised several chicks together.

“Each year that Wisdom returns, we learn more about how long seabirds can live and raise chicks,” said Beth Flint of USFWS, who is the supervisory wildlife biologist at the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

“Her return not only inspires bird lovers everywhere but helps us better understand how we can protect these graceful seabirds and the habitat they need to survive into the future.”

Feature image credited to: Madalyn Riley/USFWS Pacific Region

By supporting our work, you are reaching out with caring hands to stop animal abuse

Please donate now
Stay up to date

Stay up to date

Share link

Pet Cats in Cape Town Cover Nearly 20km per Day in Summer but Don’t Like Winter

Domestic cats in Cape Town, South Africa, roam up to 18 kilometers (11 miles) a day during the city’s warmer months, spending a great deal

24 March 2023

A Dog, Three Newborn Pups, Rescued from Rubble in Turkey

Almost a month after earthquakes wreaked havoc in Turkey’s southern province of Hatay, a two-year-old Doberman named Sila and her three newborn puppies miraculously emerged

19 March 2023

The Truth About Cats’ Domestication And Why They Really Quite Like Us

Cats and dogs are the most popular pets in the world, yet the two are completely different in terms of their interactions with us. Unlike

11 March 2023

Your Donations In ACTION: February 2023

Global disasters once again made headlines in February as devastating earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, and animals were victims of the turmoil. As always, we

5 March 2023

Help us fight cruelty to animals around the world

Click here to donate

Network for Animals

Network for Animals is a non-government, international animal welfare organization crusading for animals around the world.

© Network for Animals
Terms and conditions/ Privacy policy
Cookie policy

Campaigns

Cats In Crisis Disaster Relief Dogs In Distress Equine Care & Rescue Ukraine War Worldwide Donkey Crisis

Stay up to date

Receive our regular emails about our campaigns for animals around the world.

Sign up

Sign up to our newsletter

Contact us

UK: +44 (0)20 8471 7666
USA: +1 727 599 8148
South Africa: 
+ 27 21 794 9149
+ 264 81 653186

info@networkforanimals.org

Facebook-f Twitter Youtube Instagram Linkedin
Subscribe

Sign up to our newsletter

Donate
This website uses cookies to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo

Lisa-Mari Spence

Leadership Gifts Officer

Lisa-Mari was raised in South Africa and joined the NFA team as the UK fundraiser after relocating to Greece. With a background in public relations and a passion for helping animals her role at NFA is a perfect match.

Alissa Ford

Director of Leadership Gifts, USA

Alissa is the Director of Leadership Gifts in the United States. She has a background in nonprofit fundraising and marketing, but believes all paths led her to Network for Animals, where she is able to combine her professional experience with her personal passion for animal welfare. Alissa lives in Boston, Massachusetts with her husband and her fur-baby Ollie, who is treated like the prince he thinks he is, since his human brother and sister are grown and now living on their own. Alissa loves speaking to our supporters who she truly considers a community of fellow animal lovers.