Over the last decades, a Laysan albatross named Wisdom has fascinated ornithologists. At an approximate age of 74, she is the oldest known wild bird in the world. As if that wasn't impressive enough, Wisdom recently laid an egg, meaning she could soon be raising a new chick well into her golden years.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the lifespan of a Laysan albatross is 68 years. They are also known for being monogamous, returning to their nesting areas every year and mating with the same bird for life. In the case of Wisdom, she has had a handful of partners. While she mated for many decades with a bird named Akeakamai, he has not been seen for several years, prompting Wisdom to initiate courtship rituals with other birds to continue breeding.

Wisdom has been known to ornithologists in the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge -- located northwest of Hawai'i -- since 1956. She was given a band with the number Z333 after she laid an egg, and has been tracked for so long that the band has been changed at least six times. Since seabirds of her kind only reach sexual maturity when they are 5 years old, biologists think she was born in the 1950-51 breeding season at the latest.

Given that the Laysan albatross is classified by the IUCN as a near threatened species, the fact that she has continued to birth and raise chicks has made her a key contributor in the preservation of her kind. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) estimates that Wisdom has produced 50-60 eggs and as many as 30 chicks that fledged in her lifetime -- quite an achievement, given albatrosses only tend to lay one egg per year. She even became a "grandma" in 2011, when her chick had a chick of its own.

Jonathan Plissner, supervisory wildlife biologist at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, says that this was Wisdom's first egg in four years and describes it as "a special joy." Luckily, further observations have revealed that she still has the energy and instincts for raising another chick.

"We are optimistic that the egg will hatch," Plissner says. Should it all go according to plan, Wisdom and her new partner will continue to incubate the egg for a few months. With some luck, she will be welcoming her latest chick next year.

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