By By Kesavan Unnikrishnan Dec 16, 2016 in Environment A 66-year-old albatross named Wisdom, first tagged in 1956 and believed to be the oldest known tracked bird in the wild, has returned with a mate to a large nesting colony on Midway Atoll to lay an egg. Kristina McOmber, the refuge's biology program volunteer crew leader, spotted the bird incubating an egg at the same nesting site she and her mate use each year on December 3. Her mate, Akeakamai, was seen near their nest site on November 23. Bob Peyton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Project Leader for the Refuge and Memorial Millions of seabirds depend on the Refuge and Memorial as a safe place to rest and raise their young. But Wisdom is our oldest resident – she has returned home to Midway Atoll for over six decades, raising numerous chicks to successfully fledge. Thanks to the hard work of our biologists and volunteers, we have been able to keep records that have allowed us to keep track of her and her chicks over the years. Midway Atoll in Central Pacific is home and nesting ground to the world’s largest albatross colony. Seventy percent of the world’s Laysan albatross population, the species to which Wisdom belongs to, is believed to come to the region to lay eggs and nurture the young ones once they hatch. Wisdom has Wildlife biologist Chandler Robbins working for a multi-year study designed to reduce impacts of wildlife and aircraft collisions in MIdway Atoll, first tagged Wisdom when she was a breeding adult in 1956. To accommodate her increasing longevity, scientists have replaced her tag a total of six times till date.Kristina McOmber, the refuge's biology program volunteer crew leader, spotted the bird incubating an egg at the same nesting site she and her mate use each year on December 3. Her mate, Akeakamai, was seen near their nest site on November 23. Bob Peyton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Project Leader for the Refuge and Memorial said Midway Atoll in Central Pacific is home and nesting ground to the world’s largest albatross colony. Seventy percent of the world’s Laysan albatross population, the species to which Wisdom belongs to, is believed to come to the region to lay eggs and nurture the young ones once they hatch.Wisdom has fledged at least nine chicks since 2006, and traveled roughly 4.8 million kilometers in her lifetime. Her most recent chick, Kūkini, was laid in November 2015 and hatched in February 2016. More about Wisdom, Albatross, Egg Wisdom Albatross Egg