Oldest known wild bird has a new chick at 74
The oldest known wild bird in the world has recently welcomed a brand new chick!Wisdom, who is believed to be 74, has been tending to her latest addition which hatched on 30 January 2025. Her last chick before this was born in 2021. The Laysan albatross was filmed looking after the egg with her partner at the Midway Atoll national wildlife refuge, located in the Pacific Ocean, at the end of last year. The new arrival is a big deal as the species usually only live for between 12 and 40 years. Wisdom, who was first tagged in Hawaii in 1956 when she was estimated to be just five, is a rare case.
The wild bird is thought to have produced 50 to 60 eggs over her lifetime, with around 30 of them hatching and being looked after by their mother and father before reaching the point where they are ready to fly. "Like other Laysan albatross, Wisdom returns to the same nesting site each year on the atoll in the outer northwestern edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago to reunite with her mate, and if able, lay one egg," USFWS Pacific shared on social media following the hatching of the new baby albatross."Albatross parents take turns caring for their chick, so when Wisdom returned her partner left to hunt for squid, fish and crustaceans."
What do we know about Laysan albatrosses?
Laysan albatrosses are large seabirds which can usually be found on islands across the Pacific Ocean. They have white heads with some darker shading on their faces, orange beaks, narrow pointed wings and darker coloured tails. Their diet is largely made up of fish, fish eggs squid and crustaceans like crabs and shrimp.However, they are also affected by plastic pollution and can accidentally eat plastic items that ends up in the sea. The Laysan albatross can fly for very impressive distances, often gliding over the sea for long periods without flapping their wings.
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BBC News
26-02-2025
- BBC News
Oldest known wild bird has a new chick at 74
The oldest known wild bird in the world has recently welcomed a brand new chick!Wisdom, who is believed to be 74, has been tending to her latest addition which hatched on 30 January 2025. Her last chick before this was born in 2021. The Laysan albatross was filmed looking after the egg with her partner at the Midway Atoll national wildlife refuge, located in the Pacific Ocean, at the end of last year. The new arrival is a big deal as the species usually only live for between 12 and 40 years. Wisdom, who was first tagged in Hawaii in 1956 when she was estimated to be just five, is a rare case. The wild bird is thought to have produced 50 to 60 eggs over her lifetime, with around 30 of them hatching and being looked after by their mother and father before reaching the point where they are ready to fly. "Like other Laysan albatross, Wisdom returns to the same nesting site each year on the atoll in the outer northwestern edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago to reunite with her mate, and if able, lay one egg," USFWS Pacific shared on social media following the hatching of the new baby albatross."Albatross parents take turns caring for their chick, so when Wisdom returned her partner left to hunt for squid, fish and crustaceans." What do we know about Laysan albatrosses? Laysan albatrosses are large seabirds which can usually be found on islands across the Pacific Ocean. They have white heads with some darker shading on their faces, orange beaks, narrow pointed wings and darker coloured tails. Their diet is largely made up of fish, fish eggs squid and crustaceans like crabs and they are also affected by plastic pollution and can accidentally eat plastic items that ends up in the sea. The Laysan albatross can fly for very impressive distances, often gliding over the sea for long periods without flapping their wings.
The Guardian
06-12-2024
- The Guardian
World's oldest-known wild bird lays egg in Hawaii at age 74
The oldest-known wild bird in the world has laid an egg at the ripe age of about 74, her first in four years, US wildlife officials said. The long-winged seabird named Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, returned to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge at the north-western edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago and laid what experts estimate may be her 60th egg, the Pacific Region of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said in a Facebook post this week. Wisdom and her mate, Akeakamai, had returned to the atoll in the Pacific Ocean to lay and hatch eggs since 2006. Laysan albatrosses mate for life and lay one egg per year. But Akeakamai has not been seen for several years and Wisdom began interacting with another male when she returned last week, officials said. 'We are optimistic that the egg will hatch,' Jonathan Plissner, supervisory wildlife biologist at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge said in a statement. Every year, millions of seabirds return to the refuge to nest and raise their young. Albatross parents take turns incubating an egg for about seven months. Chicks fly out to sea about five to six months after hatching. They spend most of their lives flying over the ocean and feeding on squid and fish eggs. Wisdom was first banded as an adult in 1956 and has raised as many as 30 chicks, Plissner said. The typical lifespan of a Laysan albatross is 68 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Independent
06-12-2024
- The Independent
World's oldest-known wild bird lays an egg in Hawaii at age 74
The oldest known wild bird in the world has laid an egg at the ripe age of about 74, her first in four years, U.S. wildlife officials said. The long-winged seabird named Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, returned to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge at the northwestern edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago and laid what experts estimate may be her 60th egg, the Pacific Region of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said in a Facebook post this week. Wisdom and her mate, Akeakamai, had returned to the atoll in the Pacific Ocean to lay and hatch eggs since 2006. Laysan albatrosses mate for life and lay one egg per year. But Akeakamai has not been seen for several years and Wisdom began interacting with another male when she returned last week, officials said. 'We are optimistic that the egg will hatch,' Jonathan Plissner, supervisory wildlife biologist at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge said in a statement. Every year, millions of seabirds return to the refuge to nest and raise their young. Albatross parents take turns incubating an egg for about seven months. Chicks fly out to sea about five to six months after hatching. They spend most of their lives flying over the ocean and feeding on squid and fish eggs. Wisdom was first banded as an adult in 1956 and has raised as many as 30 chicks, Plissner said. The typical lifespan of a Laysan albatross is 68 years, according to the .
