The oldest wild bird on record, a remarkable Laysan albatross named Wisdom, has successfully laid an egg at the impressive age of approximately 74 years—a milestone that marks her first egg in the last four years, as reported by U.S. wildlife officials.
Wisdom returned to the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, located on the northwestern edge of the Hawaiian Islands, where experts believe she has laid her 60th egg. This significant event was shared by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Pacific Region on their social media platform earlier this week.
Since 2006, Wisdom and her long-time partner, Akeakamai, have returned to the atoll for nesting and raising their young. Typically, Laysan albatrosses form lifelong pair bonds and lay one egg each year. However, Akeakamai has not been seen in recent years, prompting Wisdom to interact with a different male upon her arrival last week, according to wildlife officials.
In a statement, Jonathan Plissner, a supervisory wildlife biologist at Midway Atoll, expressed hope that Wisdom’s newly laid egg will hatch successfully. The refuge sees millions of seabirds every year returning to nest and nurture their offspring.
The parental care among albatrosses is unique, with both parents taking turns incubating their egg for an estimated period of about two months. Once hatched, the chicks typically venture out to sea about five to six months later. These birds spend the majority of their lives in flight over the ocean, primarily feeding on squid and the eggs of fish.
Wisdom was first banded as an adult back in 1956 and has successfully raised around 30 chicks throughout her lifetime, Plissner noted. The average lifespan of a Laysan albatross is around 68 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In a recent update, it has been clarified that the incubation period for albatross eggs is about two months, correcting any earlier misinformation regarding the duration being seven months.
