Watch: World's oldest wild bird lays egg at age 74
Dec. 9 (UPI) -- The world's oldest known wild bird has laid an egg at the estimated age of 74 on a North Pacific island, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.
The wildlife service Pacific region said on social media that Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, was seen nesting with a new partner and has laid an egg at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, located on the northwest edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago.
Researchers said it was Wisdom's first egg in four years, and the bird is estimated to have laid 50 to 60 eggs in her lifetime.
"Wisdom returns to the same nesting site each year to reunite with her mate and if able, lay one egg," the social media post said. "For decades, she did this with the same partner, Akeakamai, but that bird has not been seen for several years."
Jon Plissner, supervisory wildlife biologist at Midway Atoll refuge, said researchers are "optimistic that the egg will hatch."
Wisdom was believed to be 5 years old when she was first banded and observed laying an egg in 1956.
SHE DID IT AGAIN! Wisdom, the world's oldest known wild bird, is back with a new partner and just laid yet another egg. At an approximate age of 74, the queen of seabirds returned to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge last week and began interacting with a male. pic.twitter.com/6qomvs0rKL— USFWS Pacific (@USFWSPacific) December 3, 2024
