In brief
Wisdom, tagged in 1956, continues to astound biologists as she lays another egg, defying norms of avian longevity.
Wisdom, the world's oldest known wild bird, has struck another incredible milestone by laying an egg at the remarkable age of 74, as reported by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The iconic Laysan albatross was observed at the Midway Atoll national wildlife refuge in the Pacific Ocean, where she was seen with a new partner embracing the duty of safeguarding the egg.Typically, Laysan albatrosses live between 12 to 40 years, but Wisdom defies expectations after being tagged in 1956 when she was about five years old. This marks her continuation of a long legacy of motherhood, with her last chick hatching in 2021 and an estimated 30 chicks raised during her lifetime.The USFWS announced on X that Wisdom has now paired with a new mate since her previous partner, Akeakamai, has not been spotted in years. Although Laysan albatrosses are known to mate for life, Wisdom's resilience is evident as she has outlived at least three partners.Jon Plissner, a supervisory wildlife biologist at the refuge, shared that Wisdom is one of the several million Laysan albatrosses that return to Midway to breed each year. With no other known birds closely approaching her age, the record for longevity among her species stands at 45 years. Plissner noted, “It’s really been remarkable,” reinforcing the global fascination surrounding Wisdom. The biologist expressed optimism for the new egg, citing a 70-80% chance that it may hatch, as both parents partake in incubation duties. Wisdom was first identified in 1956 after laying an egg, marking the beginning of her remarkable journey. Though part of the Hawaiian archipelago, Midway Atoll is recognized as an unincorporated territory of the United States and is home to the largest albatross colony in the world.
