Wisdom: World’s oldest known wild bird lays egg at ’74’

USFWS said on X that Wisdom is with a new partner this year, while her previous partner Akeakamai hasn’t been seen in several years.

The species typically mates for life, but it is thought to live longer than at least three mates.

Jon Plissner, a wildlife biologist at the reserve, told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that Wisdom was one of two to three million Laysan albatrosses that traveled to Midway to breed. one.

He said biologists knew of no other birds close to her age, with the oldest being 45 years old.

“It’s really remarkable,” he said. “Wisdom seems to pique the interest of people around the world. We await her return every year with bated breath.”

He said Wisdom still seemed to have the energy and instinct to raise another chick, and the eggs had a 70-80 percent chance of hatching.

Albatross parents share incubation duties and then take on feeding duties once the chicks hatch.

In 1956, Wisdom was first identified and labeled after spawning. It is known that Laysan albatrosses do not reproduce until they are five years old.

Midway Atoll is part of the Hawaiian Islands but is not part of the U.S. state of Hawaii and is described as an unincorporated territory of the United States.

This wildlife sanctuary is home to the largest albatrosses colony in the world.