Honolulu, 12 December 2024 (MIA) — In 1956, US wildlife biologists at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge — an island in the Pacific Ocean that is home to the largest colony of albatross in the world — noticed a female albatross nesting in the area. After she lay an egg, they tagged her, estimating she had been born around 1950 as her species are not known to breed before the age of five. They named her Wisdom.

Now, at 74 years of age, Wisdom is the oldest wild bird in the world. Biologists estimate that she has produced as many as 60 eggs.

Sadly, however, in the past four years, Wisdom was without her longtime mate, who was mysteriously absent and she did not lay any eggs.

But this year, the conservationists discovered that Wisdom has found a new partner.

“She did it again!” the US Fish & Wildlife Service wrote in an announcement. “Wisdom, the world’s oldest known wild bird, is back with a new partner and just laid yet another egg.”

Midway Atoll, located northwest of Hawaii, is part of the Hawaiian archipelago but does not belong to the US state of Hawaii – it is an unincorporated territory of the United States.

Thanks to conservation projects, the island offers a safe haven for Wisdom and birds of her feather. mr/