“Wisdom,” the famous Laysan ALbatross who is over 60 years old, has fledged another chick today on Midway. By now she must have multiple generations of progeny out there over the Pacific. Read all about it.
Science used to believe that older female birds lost their fertility with age. And we must presume her mate(s) over the last decade or two have been much younger males.
The Laysan ALbatross has suffered from human persecution, hunting and as colateral damnage from fishing. They are especially prone to being caught by longline fishing at sea. Many Laysan males commute from Midway and nearby islands to the North American Pacific Coast to feed and then return to disgorge rich fish oil to mate and nestling. It’s a round-trip of four thousand miles or more over two weeks or longer.
Posted by: atowhee | February 6, 2013
GRANNY IS A MOTHER, AGAIN
Posted in birding, birds, natural history, ocean birds, research | Tags: Laysan Albatross, Wisdom
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