“Meet Wisdom, the 74-Year-Old Albatross Who Just Laid Her 60th Egg on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge”

Wisdom, a 74-year-old Laysan albatross, has made headlines once again as she recently laid an egg on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. This remarkable seabird, known as the oldest-known wild bird on the planet, has been fitted with a band since 1956 and has returned to the refuge to lay her first egg in four years.

According to United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) officials, Wisdom’s return to lay what could potentially be her 60th egg is a cause for optimism. Jonathan Plissner, Midway Atoll’s supervisory wildlife biologist, expressed hope that the egg will hatch successfully.

Millions of seabirds flock to Midway Atoll each year to nest and rear their chicks, with Wisdom and her lifelong mate Akeakamai being a familiar sight since 2006. However, it has been several years since Akeakamai has been seen, and Wisdom has been observed interacting with another male upon her return this year.

Laysan albatrosses typically lay one egg each year, and Wisdom has raised up to 30 chicks in her lifetime. Mating season at the refuge occurs in October and November, with albatross parents sharing the incubation of an egg for approximately seven months before embarking on long flights over the ocean in search of food for their young.

After about five or six months, the chicks will fledge and fly out to sea, where they will spend the majority of their lives feeding on fish, crustaceans, and squid. Adult Laysan albatrosses are known to fly up to 50,000 miles each year, a testament to their remarkable endurance and resilience.

The significance of Wisdom’s continued breeding success lies not only in her age but also in the insight it provides into the behavior and life cycle of these majestic seabirds. As one of the oldest known wild birds, Wisdom continues to captivate the world with her annual return to Midway Atoll.

The Midway Atoll wildlife refuge serves as a crucial breeding ground for Laysan albatrosses, with as many as three million of these birds traveling to the atoll each year. The refuge, while not part of the state of Hawaii, is an unincorporated U.S. territory and home to the largest albatross colony on Earth.

Jonathan Plissner, reflecting on Wisdom’s enduring legacy, noted the global interest and anticipation surrounding her annual return. As the world’s oldest known wild bird, Wisdom serves as a symbol of resilience and the interconnectedness of all living beings in our shared ecosystem.

As we marvel at Wisdom’s latest milestone, we are reminded of the importance of conservation efforts to protect and preserve the habitats of these magnificent seabirds for generations to come.