Oldest Tagged Albatross Wisdom to Be a Mom Again

Wisdom has raised dozens of chicks, but her species is in trouble. Here鈥檚 how you can help.

Update 2/16/17: Wisdom continues her streak at age 66 by having yet another chick. See the .

Wisdom the Laysan Albatross has some great superlatives to her name鈥攕he鈥檚 the oldest tagged bird in the wild, which may also make her the most famous. She鈥檚 also mothered 35 chicks鈥攁nd this year, the 64-year-old beauty has returned to her favorite nesting grounds in the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, laid her annual egg, and should be welcoming a chick any day now.

Wisdom was banded in the 1950s鈥攁long with a number of other Laysans鈥攐n Midway Atoll鈥檚 Sand Island by USGS researcher Chan Robbins. Birds are generally outfitted with tiny satellite GPS transmitters that collect real-time data, but Wisdom was outfitted with just a simple plastic axillary tag 鈥淶333.鈥 Since her tag is low-tech, researchers physically go out into the field to find her when she returns鈥攚hich sounds much harder than it actually is, considering that Wisdom is usually spotted within 5 meters of the same spot each year. The island haven is home to the largest albatross colony in the world鈥攖his hatch year there were 600,000 nesting pairs of Layson Albatrosses and about 29,000 of Black-footed Albatrosses鈥攕o she still needs to be picked out of a crowd.

鈥淲ouldn鈥檛 it be nice to be in your 60s and look exactly like all the 18-year-olds sitting right next to you?鈥 says Daniel Clark, the manager of the refuge.

Albatrosses in Trouble

Even with Wisdom鈥檚 impressive contributions to the colony, Laysan Albatrosses are suffering鈥攖hey鈥檙e listed in danger of extinction on the 2014 State of the Birds . And it鈥檚 not just the Laysan: Of the 22 albatross species, 15 are threatened. These seafaring avians are likely at risk due to their ocean-dependent lifestyles鈥攁nd the oceans are not doing very well.

鈥淭he success of albatrosses and the population as a whole is a real measure of the condition of our oceans,鈥 says Clark. 鈥淭hreats to the world鈥檚 oceans and nesting habitats are threats to albatrosses.鈥

These birds mistake ocean trash for food鈥攁bout 90 percent are consuming plastic, which can be deadly鈥攚hile hundreds of thousands die each year after being caught on fishing hooks, and still others are succumbing to predation and lead poisoning.

And then there鈥檚 the looming threat of climate change. The is one of the major two breeding sites (the other is appropriately named Laysan Island) that may be entirely submerged in the near future due to . When this happens, Wisdom and her albatross companions will be forced to nest elsewhere鈥攚hich may be tough, as albatross are genetically predisposed to return to the same nesting grounds each year.

How to Help

It鈥檚 an uphill battle, though there is an international edict aimed directly at conserving these great migratory species (and others): The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP). Thirteen nations have already signed on to the 11-year-old edict that aims to help these suffering birds by conducting research, raising awareness, restoring habitats, and reducing threats. In its decade-plus of existence to convince fisheries to adopt advised methods for limiting bycatch, create an online database of breeding site management techniques, and fund more than 30 research projects on the bird.

But, the United States has yet to formally ratify the treaty鈥攄espite being a leading force against longline bycatch. Today, legislation that could implement the treaty was brought in front of Congress.

鈥淚f legislation is enacted to protect these species, we can start to determine how to safeguard them from the effects of a changing climate,鈥 says Clark, 鈥渁nd how to slow that process for the benefit of not only albatrosses, but for all species, including mankind.鈥

Speak up for Wisdom and birds like her by encouraging your U.S. Representative to support the ACAP .