Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 8 hrs ago
World’s oldest known wild bird returns to Midway Atoll at about 75
Wisdom is a Laysan albatross, a seabird that spends most of its life over the ocean and comes ashore to breed.
An ornithologist banded her on Midway Atoll in 1956, when she was at least five years old.
She is now the oldest known wild bird, at roughly 75, and has returned to the atoll where she has nested for decades.
In late 2024, she laid an egg that hatched in January 2025, though the chick did not survive to leave the nest.
She returned in November 2025 but did not lay an egg during that visit.
Laysan albatrosses lay just one egg per breeding season, and Wisdom is estimated to have produced 50 to 60 eggs over her lifetime.
Her band helps wildlife staff identify her among the many nesting birds on Midway, which is part of a protected marine area in the North Pacific.
Wisdom, the world’s oldest known wild bird, returned to Midway Atoll in November 2025 at roughly 75 years old.
The Laysan albatross had hatched a chick earlier in 2025 after laying an egg in late 2024.
She did not lay an egg after returning in November, but continued visiting the nesting colony.
Ornithologist Chandler Robbins first banded her on Midway in 1956.
US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that Wisdom has produced 50 to 60 eggs and as many as 30 chicks that fledged.
- Who
- Wisdom, a Laysan albatross and the oldest known wild bird.
- What
- She returned to Midway Atoll at roughly 75 years old.
- When
- November 2025.
- Where
- Midway Atoll, in the North Pacific.
- Why
- Not stated
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Of the more than 250,000 birds banded since Chandler Robbins banded Wisdom in 1956, the next oldest bird we know about currently is just 52 years old
For a seabird that produces just one egg per year, this is an extraordinary contribution to future generations of mōlī
Ornithologist Chandler Robbins banded Wisdom on Midway Atoll.
Robbins found Wisdom again, when she was at least 50 years old.
Wisdom laid an egg on Midway Atoll.
The egg hatched.
Wisdom returned to the atoll at roughly 75 years old and visited the colony without laying an egg.
- Banding year
- 1956
- Band code
- Z333
- Age on return
- Roughly 75 years old
- Egg hatched
- January 2025
- Lifetime eggs
- Estimated 50 to 60
- Fledged chicks
- As many as 30
Sources
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