The oldest known wild bird in the world, Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, has laid an egg at the remarkable age of approximately 74 years old, the first in four years.
Wisdom returned to the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the far northwest of the Hawaiian archipelago to lay what could be her 60th egg, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Pacific region.
Oldest Wild Bird’s History
Wisdom and her mate, Akeakamai, have been returning to the atoll since 2006 to lay and hatch eggs. Laysan albatrosses mate for life and lay one egg per year.
However, Akeakamai has not been sighted for several years, and Wisdom has started interacting with another male recently.
Wisdom with her egg
Incubation Process and Albatross Life
Albatrosses take turns to incubate an egg for about seven months, and the chicks fledge to the sea approximately five to six months after hatching. These birds spend most of their lives flying over the ocean and feeding on squid and fish eggs.
Wisdom was first banded as an adult in 1956 and has raised up to 30 chicks. The typical lifespan of a Laysan albatross is 68 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Jonathan Plissner, a wildlife biologist at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, expressed optimism about Wisdom’s egg hatching, emphasizing the importance of this refuge that hosts millions of seabirds each year for nesting and raising offspring.
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