Wisdom is a Laysan albatross that we have written about before. Back in 2021, Wisdom was 70 and still laying eggs. She was banded in 1956 as a young bird and is currently recognized as the oldest banded bird in the wild. But now, Wisdom has shown herself yet again, this time in search of a new mate. Her previous mate, Akeakamai was her only mate since 2012 (Laysan albatrosses are monogamous in relationship). He has been missing for two mating seasons and is thought to be dead.
In Search of a New Partner
Recently, Wisdom, whose tag number is famously known as Z333, has turned up testing out potential suitors in the usual dance form. Her home is within the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, and it is here in the North Pacific Hawaiian set of islands that she has lived for quite some time. It is said that the Laysan albatross usually begins laying their egg in December, but Wisdom at possibly 72 years of age, has earned the right to not have to live her life by the “standard.” In March, Wisdom was photographed still dancing with potential mates, still seeking the perfect match.
Jonathan Plissner is the supervisory wildlife biologist who works for the Pacific Region of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service in the Midway Atoll Refuge. He has estimated that over the many years Wisdom has been monitored, she has produced 50 to 60 eggs with successful hatching of at least 30 chicks during her lengthy lifespan. That gives her an amazing legacy with a family tree that she will never realize the importance of.
In December, Jon Plissner reported on X (formerly Twitter) that Wisdom was spotted in the area for her nesting period but that her usual mate was not in attendance. Nevertheless, Wisdom is in search mode. Jonathan Plissner has stated that Wisdom “…looks quite spry for a septuagenarian.” (You can follow the news about Wisdom, and other amazing facts on the USFWS X account).
An Annual Tradition of Nesting
Every year, millions of seabirds arrive in the refuge to nest and raise the hatchlings so that they can become productive seabirds on their own. In December, the USFWS counted almost 500,000 Laysan albatross nests. Other recently taken photos show that there are now thousands of chicks on the island being attended to by their parents. They are growing and beginning to predictably wander from their nests indicating their growing ability to become independent.
Wisdom has shown a unique lust for life as she is now 20 years older than the average lifespan of the albatross family. All told, Wisdom is estimated to have flown an amazing 3.5 million miles within her still-active lifetime.
