74-Year-Old Wild Bird To Hatch Eggs Again

Parenting is challenging, even for the young and energetic. However, one elderly albatross, at the remarkable age of 74, is about to experience it once more.

Wisdom, a Laysan Albatross, is one of many of these massive seabirds that return to Midway Atoll, near Hawaii, every year to nest. Wildlife experts note that for decades, Wisdom has been paired with the same partner, as albatrosses are known for their monogamous relationships. Over her lifetime, she has laid more than 50 eggs.

But recently, her long-time partner has not been seen, and Wisdom has started showing interest in new males. This year, she has laid an egg, which her new partner is helping to incubate. "We are hopeful that the egg will hatch," said Jonathan Plissner, a wildlife biologist at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.

Photographs and videos from the US Fish and Wildlife Service show the pair seemingly communicating with their egg before the male settles on it. Wisdom was first tagged and identified when she laid her first egg in 1956, making her at least 74 years old by the end of the month—potentially older. This makes her the oldest known wild bird in the world.

Laysan Albatrosses can have wingspans reaching up to 80 inches (203 cm) and travel as far as 930 miles (1,500 km) to find food. The lifespan of birds varies by species—small birds may live just 2 to 3 years, while seabirds like albatrosses and penguins can live up to 40 or 50 years. Parrots, especially the cockatoo, can outlive humans, with one reportedly living past 100.

There are over a dozen species of albatross found across the Southern Hemisphere and the North Pacific Ocean. These birds are often featured in maritime stories, such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," where a sailor brings misfortune to his ship by killing one of these birds, causing its corpse to be hung around his neck.