Video: Wisdom, world's oldest known wild bird, lays an egg at age 74
Record-breaking albatross amazes again by laying an egg, starting afresh with new partner
Wisdom, the world’s oldest known wild bird, continues to defy the odds, laying yet another egg at the incredible age of 74.
This unstoppable queen of seabirds returned last week to her nesting spot at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the remote Hawaiian archipelago, according to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
But this year, there’s a twist — she’s with a new mate, following the disappearance of her longtime partner, Akeakamai.
Wisdom, a Laysan albatross (known as mōlī in Hawaiian), has been nesting at this site since before Hawaii became a US state.
After losing her original mate, she didn’t give up —instead, she performed her graceful courtship dances and bonded with a new companion, USFWS revealed in a Facebook post on Tuesday (December 3, 2024).
Special joy
Now, her energy and instincts are stronger than ever, with supervisory wildlife biologist Jonathan Plissner calling her latest egg in four years “a special joy.”
Her remarkable legacy is unmatched: since she was first banded in 1956, Wisdom is believed to have laid 50–60 eggs and raised 30 fledged chicks — a testament to her resilience and longevity.
Wisdom’s current mate has already been banded for future research, and he seems utterly dedicated, spending long shifts incubating their precious egg.
As Wisdom proves year after year, the cycles of life continue, no matter the odds.
“Each year, millions of seabirds return to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific Ocean to nest and raise their young. Wisdom, specifically, has been doing this since the Eisenhower administration,”
Check out this icon of survival and endurance, sporting her legendary band number Z333, as she reigns over Midway alongside millions of nesting seabirds. [Videos and photos by Dan Rapp | USFWS ]
https://www.facebook.com/share/1AZi8sswJG/?mibextid=WC7FNe
