It's Never Too Late To Hatch A New Chick For The World's Oldest Seabird

The world's oldest seabird known as the Laysan albatross has just hatched a new chick at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands earlier this February. The said seabird also named Wisdom is 66 years old and has raised at least 30 to 35 chicks.

Bob Peyton, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service project leader for Midway Atoll, said that Wisdom continues to inspire people around the world. Wisdom has raised her chicks over the course of her six decades upon returning to Midway Atoll.

Midway Atoll, which is part of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, is home to the world's largest colony of albatross. It is situated 1,200 miles northwest of Honolulu and became the site of the Second World War battle, according to CTV News.

Peyton explained that Laysan albatross do not lay eggs every year. On the other hand, when they do, they raise one chick at a time. This contribution of even one bird to the population makes a difference and significant, too.

Wisdom and her mate Akeakamai took turns incubating their egg during the seven-month period, in which the albatross incubates an egg and raise a chick. They took turns caring for the chick while the other flies looking for food at sea, according to CBS News.

The Laysan albatross is a large seabird that inhabits in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands particularly the islands of Midway and Laysan. It has an estimated population of 2.5 million birds and increasing in number. It can also be found on the Bonin Islands near Japan and the French Frigate Shoals and some islands off Mexico.

The Laysan albatross is described as a silent bird. The female Laysan albatrosses are known for their bond for life and raising their young. They are about 81 cm (32 inches) in length and have a wingspan of 195 to 203 cm (77 to 80 inches).