Oldest known wild bird has a new chick at 74

Wisdom has become a mother again!

The oldest known wild bird in the world has recently welcomed a brand new chick!

Wisdom, who is believed to be 74, has been tending to her latest addition which hatched on 30 January 2025. Her last chick before this was born in 2021.

The Laysan albatross was filmed looking after the egg with her partner at the Midway Atoll national wildlife refuge, located in the Pacific Ocean, at the end of last year.

The new arrival is a big deal as the species usually only live for between 12 and 40 years.

Wisdom, who was first tagged in Hawaii in 1956 when she was estimated to be just five, is a rare case.

The wild bird is thought to have produced 50 to 60 eggs over her lifetime, with around 30 of them hatching and being looked after by their mother and father before reaching the point where they are ready to fly.

"Like other Laysan albatross, Wisdom returns to the same nesting site each year on the atoll in the outer northwestern edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago to reunite with her mate, and if able, lay one egg," USFWS Pacific shared on social media following the hatching of the new baby albatross.

"Albatross parents take turns caring for their chick, so when Wisdom returned her partner left to hunt for squid, fish and crustaceans."

What do we know about Laysan albatrosses?

Laysan albatrosses are known for the darker shading on their faces

Laysan albatrosses are large seabirds which can usually be found on islands across the Pacific Ocean.

They have white heads with some darker shading on their faces, orange beaks, narrow pointed wings and darker coloured tails.

Their diet is largely made up of fish, fish eggs squid and crustaceans like crabs and shrimp.

However, they are also affected by plastic pollution and can accidentally eat plastic items that ends up in the sea.

The Laysan albatross can fly for very impressive distances, often gliding over the sea for long periods without flapping their wings.