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5aniel 6lark (>0>) 23.;.>1> 5aniel?6lark@$ws) o+

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Wisdom hatches a healthy chick at 63 years old on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
(Midway Atoll, HI) A Laysan albatross known as Wisdom at least 63 years old is once a ain b!sy rearin a c"ick on Midway Atoll #ational Wildli$e %e$! e wit"in t"e &a'a"(na!mok!(kea Marine #ational Mon!ment) *"e newly "atc"ed c"ick was $irst by +isitor ser+ices mana er, Ann ,ell, bein cared $or by Wisdom t"e mornin o$ -ebr!ary ., /01.) Wisdom is a $emale albatross $irst banded as an ad!lt in 1236) As t"e world4s oldest known bird in t"e wild, Wisdom is an iconic symbol o$ ins'iration and "o'e $or all seabird s'ecies) said 5an 6lark, re$! e mana er $or Midway Atoll #ational Wildli$e %e$! e) 7"e 'ro+ides to t"e world +al!able in$ormation abo!t t"e lon e+ity o$ t"ese bea!ti$!l creat!res) In t"e case o$ Wisdom, s"e "as lo ed literally millions o$ miles o+er t"e &aci$ic 8cean in "er li$etime to $ind eno! " $is" e s and s9!id to $eed "ersel$ and m!lti'le c"icks, allowin !s t"e o''ort!nity to meas!re t"e "ealt" o$ o!r oceans w"ic" s!stain albatross as well as o!rsel+es) Her ability to contin!e to "atc" c"icks d!rin t"e last "al$ cent!ry is beyond im'ressi+e des'ite t"e t"reats t"at albatross $ace at sea) said re$! e biolo ist &ete Leary) It is a 'oi nant and o+erw"elmin reality t"at 'lastics discarded at sea $loat, $rom toot"br!s"es to millions o$ bottle ca's, $loat and, are !sed as a s!bstrate $or $lyin $is" to attac" t"eir e s, a $ood "i "ly 'ri:ed by $ora in albatross and !ltimately re !r itated into t"e c"ick4s mo!t", said Leary) In addition, t"e c"ick4s sole s!r+i+al is com'letely de'endent on t"e "ealt" o$ Wisdom and "er li$e;lon mate and t"eir d!al ability to 'ro+ide $or $ood and 'rotection) Albatrosses arri+e on Midway Atoll %e$! e by t"e "!ndreds o$ t"o!sands to nest eac" year) %e$! e sta$$ and +ol!nteers are res'onsible $or monitorin t"e "ealt" o$ t"ese e<traordinary, bea!ti$!l ocean liders) A$ter s'endin $i+e mont"s at sea moltin and $eedin , albatross ret!rn to t"e same nestin site on Midway Atoll %e$! e) 8nce t"ey mate, an albatross 'air will immediately be in to cra$t a st!rdy nest) I$ t"ey s!ccess$!lly inc!bate t"e e and a c"ick "atc"es, eac" 'arent takes t!rns broodin t"eir c"ick, !ntil it can be le$t on its own, w"en t"ey bot" will t"en $ora e $or t"e c"ick4s meals o+er t"e ne<t si< mont"s) Wisdom "as likely raised at least 30 to 33 c"icks d!rin "er breedin li$e, t"o! " t"e n!mber may well be "i "er beca!se e<'erienced 'arents tend to be better 'arents t"an yo!n er breeders)

Albatross lay only one e a year, b!t it takes m!c" o$ a year to inc!bate and raise t"e c"ick) A$ter se+eral consec!ti+e years in w"ic" t"ey "a+e s!ccess$!lly raised and $led ed a c"ick, t"e 'arents may take t"e occasional year o$$ $rom 'arentin ) About Albatross Albatross once nested t"ro! "o!t all t"e islands in t"e Hawaiian arc"i'ela o) Its ancestral Hawaiian name moli, means a bone tattoo needle w"ic" was made $rom t"e bone o$ an albatross) Albatross are remarkable $liers w"o tra+el t"o!sands o$ miles on wind c!rrents wit"o!t e+er $la''in t"eir win s) *"ey do t"is by an lin t"eir si< $oot win s'an to adA!st $or wind c!rrents and +aryin air s'eeds abo+e t"e water) Almost as ama:in as bein a 'arent at 63 is t"e n!mber o$ miles Wisdom "as likely lo ed abo!t 30,000 miles a year as an ad!lt w"ic" means t"at Wisdom "as $lown at least two million to t"ree million miles since s"e was $irst banded) #ineteen o$ /1 s'ecies o$ albatross are t"reatened wit" e<tinction, accordin to t"e International Bnion $or t"e 6onser+ation o$ #at!re) In t"e #ort"ern "emis'"ere one "i "ly +isible t"reat is marine debris, w"ic" is in ested by ad!lts and $ed to t"eir c"icks, 'ossibly leadin to lower $led in wei "ts and inA!ries to t"eir di esti+e tract) ,ased on a recent analysis, $i+e tons o$ 'lastic obAects are bro! "t to Midway %e$! e eac" year by albatross in t"e co!rse o$ $eedin t"eir yo!n ) 8t"er t"reats incl!de e<'os!re to contaminants, s!c" as lead;based 'aint c!rrently bein abated on Midway %e$! eC lon line $is"in , w"ere t"e birds are inad+ertently "ooked and drowned (t"o! " conser+ation ro!'s "a+e banded wit" $is"ermen and dramatically lowered t"e n!mber o$ deat"s $rom t"is ca!se)C and in+asi+e s'ecies on islands w"ere rats, do s and wild cats e<ist 'rey on e s, c"icks and nestin ad!lts) 8ne o$ t"e reatest t"reats to t"e lon term s!r+i+al o$ Laysan albatross and black;$ooted albatross, w"ose 'rimary nestin sites are t"e low islands o$ &a'a"(na!mok!(kea Mon!ment is t"e loss o$ nestin "abitat d!e to sea le+el rise) -or more in$ormation on Midway Atoll #ational Wildli$e %e$! e and t"e ,attle o$ Midway #ational Memorial o toD "tt'DEEwww)$ws) o+EmidwayE) &"otos and *!mblr o$ Wisdom are a+ailable at "tt'DEE$lic)krEsEaHsA=b't6" and "tt'DEE!s$ws'aci$ic)t!mblr)comE'ostEF3F//6/..1/Et"e; $irst;$amily;'"oto;wisdom;and;"er;newest;c"ick The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov apah!naumoku!kea is cooperativel" managed to ensure ecological integrit" and achieve strong, long#term protection and perpetuation of $orthwestern %awaiian &sland ecos"stems, $ative

%awaiian culture, and heritage resources for current and future generations. Three co#trustees # the 'epartment of (ommerce, 'epartment of the &nterior, and State of %awai)i # *oined b" the +ffice of %awaiian Affairs, protect this special place. apah!naumoku!kea ,arine $ational ,onument was inscribed as the first mixed -natural and cultural. U$/S(+ World %eritage Site in the United States in 0ul" 1232. For more information, please visit www.papahanaumokuakea.gov