Wisdom returns to Midway Atoll to take her turn at chick rearing duties (February 8, 2013)

To view a larger image, click here.

Photo: John Klavitter/USFWS

Wisdom Hatches Another Chick! (February 5, 2012)

The world’s oldest living Laysan albatross, Wisdom, and her mate successfully hatched their chick on Sunday morning, February 3. Wisdom's mate tends to his newly hatched chick just hours after it hatched. While this photo was taken, Wisdom was currently at sea feeding and will return when it is time for her shift to keep her youngest safe and warm.

News Release

NPR article and video can be found at the following link:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/02/06/171290097/oh-mama-worlds-oldest-bird-has-another-chick

For more photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwspacific/8444091571/in/photostream

Photo credit: Pete Leary/USFWS

She's Back! (November 3, 2012)

Like seeing a familiar face at a high school reunion, a Laysan albatross, known affectionately as "Wisdom”, has come home once again to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Wisdom is the world's oldest known living wild bird that was spotted Thursday, November 29, by a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist as she nudged her mate off her egg and began building up the nest for the first incubation shift. Wisdom was banded on Dec. 10, 1956 and was estimated to be at least 5 years old at the time of banding.  In the midst of recent reductions in operational support and staff for the Fish and Wildlife Service, celebrating the return of an ancient seafarer is a welcome symbol of hope.

Fighter Jets Make Emergency Landing at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (August 2, 2012)

A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 fighter jet traveling from Honolulu to Iwakuni, Japan, made a precautionary landing on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge early today after experiencing a mechanical problem.

Traveling in a convoy of four F/A-18s and a KC-10 after supporting a Rim of the Pacific exercise, the F/A-18 landed safely at Henderson Airfield on Midway’s Sand Island at 10:33 a.m. SST, followed by its escort. The other aircraft circled the Atoll and continued their transit to Wake Island. No one was injured. 

News Release

Short-tailed Albatross Fledges at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (June 14, 2012)

For only the second time in recorded history, a short-tailed albatross has fledged outside of Japan.  The fledging was last observed June 10, 2012, exercising its wings near its nest site and taking a short test flight from Midway Atoll National Wildlife. The young albatross has not been seen since.

News Release - Short-tailed Albatross Fledges at Midway Atoll NWR

Photo of Short-tailed albatross stretching wings

Photo of Short-tailed albatross resting on the beach

Short-tailed albatross, testing his wings - to view the video clip, click here. To view short-tailed albatross taking a test run, click here.

70th Anniversary Commemoration of the Battle of Midway (June 5, 2012)

Veterans, their families, and military history enthusiasts spent the day at Midway Atoll NWR honoring the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Midway. Among the passengers aboard the military flight to Midway were Battle of Midway veterans, Col. John F. Miniclier and Sgt. Ed Fox.

Admiral Cecil D. Haney, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Robyn Thorson, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Region, addressed the crowd of approximately 150 people who attended the anniversary event.

To view photos from the event, click here.

News Release - Battle of Midway 70th Anniversary Commemorated at Midway Atoll

Wisdom, the amazing Laysan albatross that's been nesting each of the past 56 years in the same place on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, hatched another chick in early February and mom, dad and baby are all doing fine. Wisdom was first banded as a nesting adult in the same location behind Bravo Barracks in 1956 and she was estimated to be at least five years old at the time, making her at least 61 years old and the oldest Laysan albatross on record. Wisdom and her mate take their parenting seriously: they've been taking turns foraging and bringing food to their chick, with one of them staying with the chick at all times.

Within hours of a recent visit by visionary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle and marine wildlife artist Wyland, the second-ever hatching of a short-tailed albatross chick occurred at Midway National Wildlife Refuge within the Papahānaumokuākea.  The chick hatched the morning of January 12 at a nest site that Earle and Wyland visited the day before their pre-dawn departure.

This is only the second hatching in recorded history of a short-tailed albatross any place other than two small islands in Japan. The chick's parents first met four years ago; the female was 5 years-old and the male 21. They first nested last year only a few yards away from this year's nest, amazing the scientific community by successfully raising and fledging a chick despite two major storms and the March 11, 2011,  Japanese tsunami that washed the young bird more than 30 meters from its nest site. 

The pair reunited on Midway Atoll in early November 2011 and the female laid an egg. If all goes well, the two albatross parents will spend the next five months finding and bringing food to their chick every one to three days. They will log tens of thousands of miles, soaring between Midway and the nutrient-rich waters some 1,000 miles to the northwest, foraging on squid and flying fish eggs they will regurgitate to the chick once back at the Refuge.

Dr. Sylvia Earle and Wyland - Welcome to Midway Atoll NWR (January 10, 2012)

Fish and Wildlife Service staff and residents of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) welcomed Dr. Sylvia Earle and Wyland the artist to the Atoll on January 5. Dr. Earle is recognized as one of the world’s most acclaimed oceanographers and was named Time magazine’s first “Hero for the Planet”. Wyland is a globally renowned marine life artist whose work is at the forefront of marine conservation. In partnership with the Co-trustee agencies of the Monument including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA and the State of Hawai`i in addition to the U.S. Forest Service, the Wyland Foundation and photographer Susan Middleton, this visit promotes environmental education, raises awareness of critical issues and illuminates the success stories that have helped wildlife thrive in the ocean and island marine ecosystems of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This expedition, called "Searching for Wisdom" has already birthed many Midway miracles (see highlights). Speaking to natural resource management accomplishments and through the additional protection provided by PMNM, according to Dr. Earle, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge should be a "model for the world."

She's Back! (December 2, 2011)

On December 1, the world’s oldest Laysan albatross, a female named “Wisdom”, was sighted by a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist for the first time this breeding season nesting on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Having survived the tsunami generated by Japan's earthquakes last March, Wisdom has returned along with her mate. She was observed in her normal location behind the Bravo Barracks and was proudly incubating an egg.  Wisdom is at least 61 years old.  She was banded as a nesting adult in the same location by Chan Robbins in December 1956.  Robbins estimated that the bird was a minimum of 5 years old at the time. 

The oldest albatross in the world appears to be a northern royal albatross which was located on the South Island of New Zealand and was named “Grandma.”  She reached a banded age of 51.5 years and probable actual age of 61+ years.

The Short-tailed Albatross Couple Has Returned to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge! (Nov. 15, 2011)

The same short-tailed albatross couple that reared the first documented chick on Midway Atoll last year, has just returned for an encore performance. Staff biologists were ecstatic to see them both, first the male - then the female. They soon observed preening activity and then subsequently the female laid an egg on November 9. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has expended much effort to attract this endangered species to once again nest on Midway Atoll. At one time short-tailed albatross ruled the Pacific Ocean, however turn of the century feather hunting activity decreased their numbers. While decoys are positioned in the background the "real" male short-tailed albatross, a.k.a. golden gooney, cares for his egg on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.

All's Well That Ends Well (June 17, 2011)

A Delta Airlines flight from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Osaka, Japan, made an
unscheduled stop at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge on June 16
when pilots noticed a major crack had developed in the windshield of the
cockpit. The 747 aircraft touched down safely on the Refuge’s Henderson
Field about 5:40 p.m. with 359 passengers and 19 crew members aboard.

The Delta crew kept the passengers on board until a second 747 arrived
from Japan to deliver parts and mechanics, and fly the passengers back to
Japan. Passengers changed planes in the middle of the night and left for
Osaka about 5:00 a.m., just before light and the albatross and other birds
on the Refuge began to fly.