World's Oldest Bird (74) Becomes Mother Again with New Partner

midway atoll national wildlife refuge, pacific ocean - 74-year-old Wisdom, the world's oldest bird, hatches a chick with a new partner in the Pacific.

Wisdom, the Laysan Albatross

Wisdom, a 74-year-old Laysan albatross, has defied the odds by hatching a chick with a new partner at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific Ocean. Despite not laying eggs for years due to her previous partner's absence, Wisdom found a new mate and successfully hatched an egg.

Experts estimate that Wisdom has laid around 50-60 eggs and raised approximately 30 chicks in her lifetime. Albatross parents share the responsibility of feeding their young, taking turns hunting for squid, fish, and crustaceans while the other watches over the nest.

Biologists first identified and banded Wisdom in 1956 when she laid her first egg. Based on this event, they estimated her age to be 69 years, making her the oldest known bird in the world at 74. Typically, albatrosses have a lifespan of around 51 years, with many not surviving their first year. However, the Laysan albatross, with its two-meter wingspan and 80-centimeter length, faces few predators in the wild.