Congratulations to the oldest known wild bird in the world! Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, is about 74 years old. She just laid what could be her 60th egg!

Wisdom has laid eggs at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in Hawaii since 2006. Every year, millions of seabirds return to the refuge to nest and raise their young. Laysan albatrosses usually pair up for life and lay one egg per year. 

“We are optimistic that the egg will hatch,” says Jonathan Plissner. He’s a wildlife biologist at the refuge. 

Albatross parents take turns incubating an egg for about seven months. Chicks fly out to sea about five to six months after hatching. They spend most of their lives flying over the ocean. They eat squid and fish eggs.

In order to identify and track birds, scientists often place numbered bands on their legs. Ornithologist (bird expert) Chandler Robbins first banded Wisdom in 1956. He estimated that she was about six years old at the time. 

The average Laysan albatross has a lifespan of 68 years. Wisdom has raised as many as 30 chicks. 

Wisdom isn’t the oldest bird ever recorded. A few pet parrots may have lived more than 100 years. 

Still, we don’t actually know the age of the oldest bird ever. There are just too many to study. The Lord has His eye on every single one. And His care for them doesn’t even come close to how much He loves us. 

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” — Matthew 10:29-30