The World’s Oldest Wild Bird Welcomes a New Grandchick

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is highlighting a new member of a famous feathered family—the world’s oldest known breeding bird, a Laysan albatross named Wisdom.

The agency shared a video on social media showing a scruffy hatchling yawning while resting in the sand close to a large bird—likely one of its parents. The parent gently touches the chick with its long beak. The video is set to Olivia Dean’s So Easy (To Fall In Love), perfectly capturing the charm of the adorable baby bird.

“This hatchling, recorded earlier this month on the refuge, belongs to Wisdom’s son born in 2011, easily identified by the red tag labeled ‘N333,’ an offshoot of his mother’s legendary ‘Z333’ tag,” the video caption explains.

Wisdom, the hatchling’s grandmother, is over 70 years old. She was alive during President Eisenhower’s administration and holds the record as the oldest wild bird known to successfully lay an egg, which she did in 2024 at an estimated age of 74.

The Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) is a large grey and white seabird with long wings that inhabits the northern Pacific Ocean. It lives mostly over the open ocean and primarily feeds on squid. Laysan albatrosses typically mate for life. After her former mate, Akeakamai, went missing, Wisdom found a new partner, which is remarkable given her age.

Located in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean, the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge—also home to the Battle of Midway National Memorial—hosts the world’s largest albatross colony. According to the social media post, Wisdom continues to return to the refuge during nesting season and was last identified there in November 2025.

“Hundreds of thousands of Laysan (mōlī) and black-footed (kaʻupu) albatross chicks are currently growing and receiving squid deliveries from their parents on Midway Atoll NWR,” the video caption states. “As chicks get stronger, they will spend more time away from the nest before fledging in the summer. Once fledged, the young mōlī will spend three to five years at sea before returning to their nesting colony to find a mate.”

Here’s hoping this charming grandchick enjoys a long and healthy life like its legendary grandmother!