World's Oldest Albatross Becomes a Mom Again at 67 Years Old

Wisdom, the Laysan albatross, and her mate welcomed their chick earlier this month.

How old is too old to become a mother?

Wisdom the Laysan albatross doesn’t seem to think an age limit exists as she has hatched another chick at 67 years old.

The new mom, which researchers believe is the oldest breeding bird in the wild, and her mate Akeakami, welcomed their new chick earlier this month.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Region estimate she laid her egg in December, and the chick hatched earlier this month after a two-month incubation period.

It will be another five months before the chick leaves the nest.

Researchers say Wisdom was likely hatched in the 1950s and has successfully raised more than 30 albatross chicks in her lifetime.

While most albatrosses usually only lay eggs once every other year, Wisdom has laid an egg every year since 2006.

Albatrosses are also monogamous, but since Wisdom is speculated to be the oldest albatross in the wild, researchers believe she has had to find multiple mates in her lifetime.

Wisdom is just one of the millions of albatrosses that fly thousands of miles yearly to return to the Midway Atoll, located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, nearly 1,500 miles from Hawaii.

The Midway Atoll Refuge is the largest albatross colony in the world, housing more than 600,000 pairs during breeding season.

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