Natural History Wanderings

A sixty year old Laysan Albatross is not only the oldest known wild bird in the U.S., but also the oldest breeder. Albatrosses are believed to be the oldest birds that live in the wild. Albatrosses typically lay one egg a year and take most of the year raising the chick. Albatrosses sometimes take a year off after successfully raising a chick and older birds may stop breeding altogether. The sixty year old bird named Wisdom, is estimated to have raised 30 to 35 chicks and  is currently raising a healthy new chick.  She currently lives at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, in the Pacific Ocean, northwest of the main Hawaiian island.

Although Laysan Albatrosses are not listed as endangered, 19 of 21 species of Albatross are at risk of extinction according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Threats to birds include lead from older paint; floating garbage, which may inadvertently fed to chicks; rats and wild cats .

Read more int NYTimes Albatross Named Wisdom Is a Mother at 60

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• Laysan Albatross Photos (naturalhistorywanderings.com)