Watch a video of Wisdom – the oldest known wild bird – as she returns to her winter nesting grounds in December 2024. And she has a couple surprises!
Oldest known wild bird, Wisdom, is back with an egg
An albatross named Wisdom, the oldest known wild bird at approximately 74 years old, has once again returned to the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific. Last year it seemed clear that Wisdom had lost her long-time mate. But now, this golden bachelorette is back with a new mate … and she’s laid an egg! The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Pacific region reported the news on X on December 3, 2024, saying, “SHE DID IT AGAIN!”
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
The USFWS Pacific posted:
Like other Laysan albatrosses, or moli in Hawaiian, Wisdom returns to the same nesting site each year to reunite with her mate and if able, lay one egg.
For decades she did this with the same partner, Akeakamai. That bird has not been seen for several years, however.
Jon Plissner, supervisory wildlife biologist at Midway Atoll NWR, called Wisdom’s first egg in four years ‘a special joy’ and said she seems to still have the energy and instincts for raising another chick.
‘We are optimistic that the egg will hatch,’ he wrote.
Overall, it is estimated that Wisdom has produced 50-60 eggs and as many as 30 chicks that fledged in her lifetime.
Biologists first identified and banded Wisdom in 1956 after she laid an egg, and the large seabirds aren’t known to breed before age five.
The ageless Wisdom can be seen in these photos and videos with her well-known band number Z333. Her new mate was banded last Friday for future identification.
Images of Wisdom
Laysan albatrosses
Wisdom is a Laysan albatross, or moli. These birds return to tiny atolls in the Pacific every year starting in October. However, because of their long lifespans, they can be a challenge to study. In fact, a typical albatross lives for two to three times the length of a biologist’s career.
Plus, albatrosses are difficult to study because they spend up to 90% of their lives in the air, moving from their summer feeding ground in the northern Pacific, to the tiny atolls in the mid-Pacific that are their places to nest.
Albatrosses are ‘near-threatened’
The population of the Laysan albatross falls in the category of “near-threatened.” To be sure, they’re no longer hunted as they were in the early 1900s. But their numbers haven’t yet recovered.
Previously, in 2009, scientists estimated that around 10,000 albatrosses died annually due to poisoning at Midway. Chicks born in nests close to buildings left behind by the Navy ingested lead-based paint chips that led to their deaths.
By August 2018, the U.S. had remediated the lead problem and declared Midway Atoll lead-free.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has said:
Wisdom’s continued contribution to the fragile albatross population is remarkable and important. Her health and dedication have led to the birth of other healthy offspring, which will help recover albatross populations on Laysan and other islands.
Bottom line: A beloved albatross named Wisdom is the world’s oldest known wild bird. She’s back at her winter nesting ground again with a new mate … and she’s laid an egg!
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