The average life expectancy for humans worldwide is 71. Wisdom the albatross has already surpassed that by three years. Not only that, she is still laying eggs. The celebrated bird is sitting on a new egg. It's expected to hatch this month. It will likely be her 30th hatchling, wildlife biologists say. “She did it again!” The US Fish & Wildlife Service reported on X. That was after the Laysan albatross was seen with her egg and new mate in Hawaii. Wisdom is nesting at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Rangers believe her offspring will hatch without a hitch. That's because the success rate for her species is 75%. “The fact that she’s made it this long is really, really special,” Jonathan Plissner told The Washington Post. Plissner is a refuge supervisory wildlife biologist. He is 13 years the albatross’ junior. Avian experts have tracked Wisdom for decades. She was banded in 1956 by Chandler Robbins. He was a wildlife biologist who died in 2017. While these birds mate for life, Wisdom appears to have outlived three partners and laid dozens of eggs. Albatrosses lay one egg every year. Unattached birds arriving at the refuge engage in ‘courtship dances’ in which they strut and honk and nudge each others’ beaks. Wisdom’s previous mate hasn’t been seen since 2021. “It was exciting to see her return last year and start courting and dancing with the other birds,” Plissner told the Post. “We knew then she was actively trying to find a new mate.” Wisdom also gives wildlife biologists hope for the species. It is threatened by plastic pollution, and climate change. It is also threatened by commercial fishing, and predators. "Wisdom has somehow managed to avoid all of the hazards for more than 70 years," Plissner told NPR. Reflect: What qualities do you think help animals overcome challenges and live longer lives in the wild? Photo of albatross from Wikimedia Commons courtesy of Bernard Spragg.
