At 74, Wisdom the albatross surprises scientists with new egg
The oldest known wild bird in the world has brought immense joy to scientists after laying an egg – the first in four years. This is all the more surprising, considering the bird is already 74 years old.
As reported by the "Daily Mail," the world's oldest bird laid an egg at the age of 74. Wisdom, a Laysan albatross nesting in Hawaii, has outlived many partners and even the biologist who first banded her in 1956. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the unexpected egg laying on platform X.
Wisdom, the Laysan albatross, was spotted with an egg and a new partner last week at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, an island sanctuary located at the far northern end of the Hawaiian archipelago.
She did it again! – announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on platform Facebook.
Jon Plissner, the refuge's supervising wildlife biologist, said he and his team are "optimistic that the egg will hatch," and Wisdom will be in good enough shape to raise another chick.
The world's oldest bird laid an egg
Biologists spotted Wisdom at Midway Atoll in 2001 with a red band around her leg. According to CNN, it turned out that the red band was placed by the late well-known ornithologist Chandler Robbins in 1956.
The USFWS estimates that the bird has laid up to 60 eggs and raised as many as 30 chicks in her lifetime. For decades, Wisdom returned to the island with the same partner, Akeakamai. However, he has not been seen since at least 2021. Experts tagged Wisdom's new partner last week.
Laysan albatrosses live from 12 to 40 years. CNN reports that a common cause of death for many individuals is accidentally ingesting colourful plastic that they mistake for food in the sea. Wisdom has intrigued biologists who are trying to uncover the mystery of her longevity.
Each year, millions of albatrosses return to Midway Atoll to nest and raise their young, according to USFWS data. The breeding season lasts from October to November, and this species often spends just over half the year at the refuge, incubating eggs and raising chicks.
