The Resilient Wisdom: The 70-Year-Old Female Albatross Seeking Love in Midway Atoll

In recent years, a team of biologists on Midway Island have made an astounding discovery – a female Laysan albatross named Wisdom who is over 70 years old and actively seeking a new mate following the loss of her long-time partner. Wisdom, who has been wearing a collar since her identification in 1956, is believed to be the world’s oldest wild bird and has been flying around the North Pacific for decades.

Despite the nesting season ending, Wisdom has continued to participate in mating rituals, showcasing her resilience and agility for her age. Female Laysan albatrosses typically lay eggs in December, but Wisdom’s usual partner, Akeakamai, has been missing for the past two seasons prompting her to seek new potential mates on Midway Atoll.

Midway Atoll is home to the largest population of Laysan albatrosses with 600,000 breeding pairs returning each year. Despite her age, Wisdom has been actively courting other birds during the mating season demonstrating her willingness to find a new partner. With an estimated 5.6 million kilometers flown in her lifetime, Wisdom has covered significant distances in the North Pacific and fueled her flights with a diet of small squid, fish, and crustaceans.

Wisdom’s contribution to the population of Laysan albatrosses is not only limited to her mating rituals but also extends to her egg-laying abilities. Over the course of her life she is believed to have laid an estimated 60 eggs. Even though she may not nest this year, Wisdom’s presence on Midway Atoll is a testament to her endurance and determination as she continues to search for a new mate at the age of 70 plus.