Oldest Known Bird Lays First Egg in Four Years

Wisdom, a 74-year-old Laysan albatross, is rewriting the story for older birds. Returning to her nesting site at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in Hawaii, Wisdom recently laid her first egg in four years, according to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service officials.

Wisdom’s incredible journey spans decades, having been first tagged in 1956 when she was about six years old. Each year, millions of Laysan albatrosses return to Midway Atoll to raise their young, but Wisdom’s legacy is extraordinary—she’s believed to have laid up to 60 eggs and raised as many as 30 chicks over her lifetime.

For years, she paired with a mate named Akeakamai, but he has not been seen for some time. This season, Wisdom formed a bond with a new partner, who was tagged last week for monitoring. In a video shared by USFWS, the pair are seen sharing a tender moment, with her partner already taking his turn incubating their egg—a process expected to last about three weeks before Wisdom resumes the role.

Jon Plissner, a wildlife biologist at Midway Atoll, expressed hope for the egg’s successful hatching, calling it “a special joy” and a testament to Wisdom’s enduring instincts.

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