The world's oldest bird laid an egg at 74 years old: will the chick hatch? (video)

After losing her partner of over fifty years, the oldest wild female albatross in the world has found a new mate and laid an egg.

https://focus.ua/technologies/682189-samaya-staraya-ptica-v-mire-otlozhila-yayco-v-vozraste-74-let-smozhet-li-ptenec-vylupitsya-video2024-12-06 07:49:51

Wisdom is the oldest known bird in the world. She was first identified and banded by biologists after laying an egg on Midway Atoll in 1956. Researchers know that albatrosses don't lay eggs until they reach five years of age, which is why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates Wisdom's age to be at least 74 years, according to IFLScience.

It is known that every November, the albatross population, including Wisdom, returns to Midway Atoll in the northern Pacific Ocean to find a mate and lay eggs. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff, throughout her life, Wisdom has likely laid around 50-60 eggs, of which about 30 have hatched into chicks.

Interestingly, most of Wisdom's chicks were from one partner, Akeakamai, with whom the female albatross was paired for 60 years. Unfortunately, Akeakamai did not appear at the nesting sites in 2021 and the following years, leading scientists to believe that the male has died.

Earlier this year, Wisdom sparked hope that she might mate again when she was seen actively courting other birds in March. According to biologist Dr. Beth Flint from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, albatrosses form lifelong pairs, but they can also find a new partner if necessary—such as if they outlive their first mate.

When Wisdom returned to the atoll, scientists discovered that she had found a new partner, and now researchers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have announced that Wisdom has laid an egg at her advanced age.

According to biologist John Plissner, this female albatross is quite unique, as there are no other wild birds of her species known to be close to her age. Researchers note that other older albatrosses today have only reached the age of 45.

Most eggs are laid on the atoll in early December. The incubation period for albatross eggs is 64-65 days, with most new chicks hatching in January/February of the following year. The wait can be tense, but it is expected that the chick will hatch or, at the very least, have a good chance of doing so.

According to Plissner, about 70-80% of the eggs laid on the atoll hatch each year; however, only about half of them survive to fledging age and then leave the atoll.