World's Oldest Wild Bird Lays Egg at 74

0:00

/1861

1×

Facts

• Wisdom — a 74-year-old Laysan albatross and the world's oldest known wild bird — has laid her first egg in four years at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in Hawaii.^[1][2]
• First banded as an adult in 1956, Wisdom has produced an estimated 60 eggs and successfully raised around 30 chicks throughout her lifetime, far exceeding the typical Laysan albatross lifespan of 68 years.^[3][4]
• According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, after her longtime mate Akeakamai disappeared several years ago, Wisdom began courting a new partner.^[5][6]
• The albatross parents take turns incubating the egg for approximately seven months. Most eggs are laid in early December, with chicks hatching in January or February of the following year.^[7][8]
• Wisdom returns annually to Midway Atoll — part of the Hawaiian archipelago — along with millions of other seabirds to nest and raise their young, making it the world's largest colony of albatrosses.^[5][9]

Sources: ^[1]NBC, ^[2]Guardian, ^[3]Associated Press, ^[4]New York Times, ^[5]BBC News, ^[6]CBS, ^[7]Newsweek, ^[8]IFLScience and ^[9]New York Post.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Forbes and Acap. While inspirational, Wisdom's advanced age may be an anomaly given the species' future. Laysan albatrosses face increasing threats from climate change, sea-level rise, and human disturbance of breeding colonies, with the species currently listed as near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.
• Narrative B, as provided by FOX Weather and CNN. Wisdom's extraordinary longevity and continued breeding success are actually a beacon of hope for seabird conservation, particularly as she has survived numerous real-world environmental challenges — including widespread plastic pollution that has killed many other albatrosses in the region. The resilience of this amazing seabird speaks volumes.

Predictions