The Northern Royal Albatross
Northern Royal Albatross
The Northern Royal Albatross Camera, or RoyalCam, has run since 2016. It is at the tip of the Otago Peninsula, in the Taiaroa Head Nature Reserve. Taiaroa (or Pukekura) Head is world famous. It has the only albatross colony in the southern hemisphere. It was also important to Māori and later, European settlers. Taiaroa Head boasts a population of almost 10,000 seabirds. So, it offers great wildlife viewing. But, timing is everything. Some species are absent at times of the year. Others are nocturnal and only active on land at night. The giant albatross favors flying in gusty wind currents. The New Zealand Department of Conservation has ringed the Northern Royal Albatross at Taiaroa Head. It recorded its individual history during previous nesting periods. Since the 2015/2016 season, the Royal Albatross camera has shown a different breeding pair each year. (Click to read about past breeding seasons.) In the 2022-2023 season, the male, GLY, and the female, L, take center stage. GLY gets its name from the colors of its leg bands: green, lime, and yellow. L is blue. On November 4, 2022, the hen laid the fertile egg. The nesting area at the top of Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula is a ‘hotspot.’ It’s a protected area where summer ground temperatures can exceed 50 degrees Celsius. These conditions are not ideal for a seabird. It is better adapted to sub-Antarctic conditions. But, the albatross has chosen this place. So, we use several strategies to improve breeding success. In the past, adults and chicks could die from heat exhaustion. There is now an irrigation system that sprays water into the nest to cool the birds on hot days. Hot conditions during incubation are a major problem. The adults emerge to cool down, exposing the egg to fly attacks. Albatross chicks can take 6 days to hatch. Eggs harboring fly larvae or live worms instigate a lethal outcome.
The staff now use Poultry Insect Killer on the young birds and hatch almost all the eggs in incubators. This reduced fly mortality to zero. New Zealand’s oldest predator control program uses traps for feral cats and mustelids.
It is important to provide extra food to the chicks if a parent disappears before the chick hatches. Otherwise, a parent disappears before the chick hatches. Otherwise, a chick can die of hunger. It takes all the energy of both parents to raise a chick. Then, they need a year off from reproducing. Birds raised by two parents get more food supplements. This is if, for any reason, the parents do not bring enough food to survive the winter.
Royal Albatross on Trees
Some groups are raising awareness of a Northern Royal Albatross nest at Taiaroa Head. The New Zealand Department of Conservation employs a team of rangers. They help with the colony’s daily efforts. Also, the Royal Albatross Centre at Taiaroa Head is public. It lets visitors observe wildlife and learn about seabird conservation. Thousands of seabirds nest here. Cornell Lab’s bird cameras connect viewers worldwide to the intimate world of birds. We aim to make observation active. It should inspire awareness that leads to conservation, education, and engagement with birds. Our viewers say watching the cameras is life-changing. They call it a unique learning experience. They compare it to virtual field trips or biology lessons in their living room. We are excited to watch birds and learn together with the community.
