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What To Expect On The Northern Royal Albatross Cam

July 11, 2024
Adult and chick from the Northern Royal Albatross Cam.

The Northern Royal Albatross Cam season is a year-long marathon at the breeding colony located at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head on New Zealand’s South Island.

Watch the video series below to learn what milestones you can expect to see on cam throughout the various stages of the nesting period.

Click to jump through the timeline:
November & December
January
February
March & April
May & June
July & August
September & October

November & December: Adults Lay And Incubate Eggs

Tap to learn what to watch for on the Northern Royal Albatross Cam during November and December.
Learn what to watch for as breeding albatrosses begin the nesting period and care for their single-egg nests though the incubation period.

January: Hatching Chicks

Tap to learn what to watch for on the Northern Royal Albatross Cam during January.
Learn about the hatching process as Northern Royal Albatross breeding pairs welcome their chicks in January.

February: Post-Hatching & Guard Stage

Tap to learn what to watch for on the Northern Royal Albatross Cam during February.
Learn what to watch for in the weeks after hatching as the adults team up to guard their nest sites in New Zealand.

March & April: Nests Enter Post-Guard Stage

Tap to learn what to watch for on the Northern Royal Albatross Cam during March and April.
Learn what to watch for as the adults head back out to sea during the post-guard stage of the nesting cycle.

May & June: Chicks Gain Adult Feathers & Sex Characteristics

Tap to learn what to watch for on the Northern Royal Albatross Cam during May and June.
Learn what to watch for as the nestlings begin to transform from downy chicks to full-sized birds.

July & August: Chicks Receive Bands & Prepare To Fledge

Tap to learn what to watch for on the Northern Royal Albatross Cam during July and August.
Learn why leg bands are an important conservation tool and what chicks do to prepare for their first flights.

September & October: Chicks Fledge & New Nests Established

Tap to learn what to watch for on the Northern Royal Albatross Cam during September and October.
Learn what to watch for as chicks fledge and a new crop of breeders returns to begin a new nesting season in New Zealand.

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Pileated Woodpecker by Lin McGrew / Macaulay Library