Wisdom, a Laysan albatross and the world's oldest known breeding bird, has laid another egg at Midway Atoll in the Hawaiian archipelago. The 68-year-old bird was first spotted incubating an egg at her traditional nest site on November 29, and biologists have confirmed the egg's presence.
Wisdom has been returning to the same nesting site on Midway Atoll for decades, often with her mate, Akeakamai. The pair take turns incubating the egg and foraging for food over a seven-month period until the chick can fend for itself. If this egg hatches and the chick fledges, it will be Wisdom's 37th offspring.
Scientists first banded Wisdom in 1956 when she was about five years old. Since then, she has flown more than three million miles and produced around 41 chicks. Her remarkable fertility and annual breeding pattern are unusual for Laysan albatrosses, which typically lay one egg every other year.
Kelly Goodale, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge biologist, noted that Wisdom is likely surrounded by her descendants when she returns to the atoll. Refuge manager Dan Clark highlighted the valuable information Wisdom provides about the longevity of albatrosses and the health of the Pacific Ocean.
