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Local politics, the county, and the world, as viewed by Tammy Maygra Tammy’s views are her own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bill Eagle, his pastor, Tammy’s neighbors, Wayne Mayo, Brian Stout, Former President Trump, Henry Heimuller, Joe Biden, Jerry Falwell Jr., Mike Johnson, Ted Cruz, Joe Biden’s dogs, or Claudia Eagle’s Cats. This Tammy’s Take (with the exception of this disclaimer) is not paid for or written by, or even reviewed by anyone but Tammy and she refuses to be bullied by anyone. See Bill’s Standard Disclaimer
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This Albatross may be the oldest living wild bird in the world.
Wisdom, The Oldest Living Wild Bird The world's oldest identified wild bird is courting new mates on a remote island off Hawaii after most likely losing her lifelong mate. The female albatross, nicknamed Wisdom, is likely in her 70s and has been cruising around the North Pacific Ocean since the Eisenhower administration, in 1953, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Biologists first identified Wisdom in 1956 and put a band on her right leg that is still attached today. The albatross was already mature when she was banded, meaning she could be 72 years old. Twenty years older than the average lifespan of her species. Wisdom, the world's oldest known wild bird, was photographed again last month on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, dancing with prospective mates. Her long-term mate, Akeakamai, has yet to be seen and was absent the last two nesting seasons. Not a good sign that he didn’t return each year. Laysan albatrosses, are long-living seabirds that pair for life with a single mate. They are named after a breeding colony of 145,000 pairs on Laysan, one of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands located 930 miles northwest of Honolulu. Midway Atoll, has the biggest colony of Laysan albatrosses in the world, with 600,000 breeding pairs returning to its two sandy islands every year. USFWS scientists guesstimate the senior albatross has flown 3.5 million miles in her lifetime. Equivalent to 7 round trips to the Moon. Laysan albatrosses start breeding when they are 3 to 4 years old, according to the American Bird Conservancy, suggesting Wisdom has laid up to 60 eggs in her lifetime, approximately half of which may have hatched to yield fledglings while the other half may have just died or been killed by predators. Between nesting seasons, Wisdom spends nearly half the year at sea, soaring across the Pacific Ocean sky for hours on end without a single flap of her narrow, 3-foot-long wings. Like other Laysan albatrosses, she likely fuels her long flights by feeding on small squid, flying fish eggs, fish and crustaceans. Wisdom probably won’t nest this year but will hopefully next year after the aging bird selects a new mate and if she is lucky enough to survive due to her age. I wrote an article previously about the deaths of albatrosses due to mice, which were introduced to the remote islands by seal hunters. Here is an update. Mice have been inflicting destruction on Marion Island, between South Africa and Antarctica, for decades. Humans accidentally introduced the mice in the 19th century by seal hunters, and the rodents have since developed a taste for albatrosses and other threatened seabirds. The mice number in the millions and started eating only the eggs but then found they could eat the adult birds as well and actually started slowly eating the birds alive. The birds get infections and die from the filthy mice. The mice chew on the birds wings and are unable to fly. The birds have are defenseless against mice because they didn't evolve alongside terrestrial predators. The Mouse-Free Marion Project, a collaboration between the South African government and BirdLife South Africa, is trying to raise $29 million to drop 660 tons (600 metric tons) of rodenticide-laced pellets onto the island in winter 2027. The rodenticide at the heart of the new eradication strategy, in contrast, should only kill mice because it doesn't affect Marion Island's native invertebrates and the seabirds usually feed at sea.
Tammy
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