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[Lani]

Royal Albatross update

Weighing Update: (10.20 am)

Top Flat chick is 168 days old and weighs 8.6 kg. There was no weighing last week and this is nearly a 1 kg decrease in weight from the 25th of June when he was 9.5 kg. His parents came in frequently during the end of June but there has been a bit of a lull in feedings for Top Flat chick during July. A recheck of his weight will occur next Tuesday. There may be potential for supplementary feeding if there have been no significant gains by then.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nat...

Top Flat Track chick is 160 days old and weighs 10 kg. There was no weighing last week, the weight on the 25th of June was 10.4 kg. Even with a 400g drop in weight Top Flat Track chick is still above the average weight for a male of his age. BOK is a larger female than LGL so we would not expect both chicks to be the same size.

Top Flat chick has moved away from the nest and is spending much time on the right side of the cam view. This is not so far away that his parents cannot find him when they come into feed. Chicks often move away from the nest at this stage. He has moved to the lower right of TFT chick.

Alphanumeric bands are being placed on many chicks early this season as the chicks become more mobile and shift locations. This will ensure that records are kept accurate, and no misidentification can occur. Top Flat chick was banded this morning as E24, and Top Flat Track was banded as E25.

The stainless-steel bands will be placed on the chicks early August.




Royal Albatross ~ TFT Skycalls LGL's Arrival ♫ 😂 LGL Feeds Her Hungry TF ♥ 7.11.24
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6ca0a338437fdf6100de5c907b4809a040425e8131177cbac45b6861fcbbae52.jpg?w=800&h=475

Jul 11, 2024  #TAIAROA #royalcam #albatross
Today must be the day for skycalls for the chicks! Both boys were sleeping when they awoke to LGL flying in and landing just below Top Flat. TFT immediately does a skycall greeting and TF begins to whee! LGL walks up to where TF has been hanging out lately. TF begins to beg LGL for his supper - LGL wants to head towards her nest but decides to feed TF in this location.

TF must be quite hungry today -he is incessantly bill tapping Mom to open up & feed him. It is the bill tapping by the chick that actually stimulates the parent to begin the regurgitation process! LGL feeds her chick and then she walks to the right like she was leaving, turns around and comes back - heading to her nest to fix it up. TF has not been on his nest for several days now - he is too busy exploring the track around his nest.

LGL then decides to try and top off one more mouthful for TF before she departs to the right and down the track. It was nice to see LGL today and LGK the other day coming in to feed TF. WYL came in today to feed TFT (he did clack at TF for begging). Thank you for watching!

Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk

It's obvious TF chick needs more food, poor boy. He's so hungry. I wouldn't be surprised if the rangers give him his first supplement feeding.

[Lani]

Weighing Update: 11.08 am.

Weighing is early this week due to staffing allocations.

Top Flat chick is 174 days old and weighs 8.8 kg. He was later fed by a parent at 11.45 am. Putting his weight up into the acceptable range and not requiring supplementary feeding or a further recheck later in the week.   Last week Top Flat chick was a low weight of 8.6 kg but was feed by parents soon after.

TFT chick on left... LGL is feeding TF chick, look how his feathers are changing every day. 

[Lani]

Royal Albatross ~ LGK Returns To Feed & Preen TF 💕 7.21.24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6B-a-UUO7I

Jul 21, 2024  #TAIAROA #royalcam #albatross
It was another day of double feedings for TF with LGL coming in early in the morning and now LGK arriving later in the afternoon. Also today TFT had both BOK and WYL in to feed him so both chicks got fed by both parents!! Lucky chicks! 💕💞💕

LGK comes in from the right and TF runs to him wheeing with excitement! LGK feeds his hungry chick and then he stops to allopreen the top of his head. TF grew quiet while Dad was grooming him. Then LGK starts to leave, walking close to his nest and then to the center edge of the track. A black-backed gull lands next to TF - gulls follow parents feeding their chick because there might be some spillage of food on the grass for them to eat. LGK flies off over the sea and TF goes back to his spot on the right to garden. Thank you for watching!

[Lani]

7/22  Wind, rain, choppy seas and a rainbow. A lovely backdrop for Top Flat chick & Top Flat Track chick.

To catch up on a few happenings from last week, check out the latest videos here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXJZ8Lf9KIx6iS2ncZFMv_-8H5svLN97H

https://x.com/i/status/1815184298938699782

[Lani]

Royal Albatross update

Weigh day update

Top Flat chick is 182 days old and weighs 9 kg at 9.59 am. Last week’s weight was 8.8kg. He has been fed several times by LGL and LGK has been in twice since then.

TF taking a nap 
https://x.com/i/status/1811340224812945767

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/track-the-chicks-weight/

Top Flat Track chick is 174 days old and weighs 10.5 kg at 10.57 am. His last weight 2 weeks ago, was 10 kg. WYL and BOK continue to feed their chick regularly.

Around 4:30pm TF relocated to the left of TFT. Then went walkabout a few hours after that and is now halfway down the hill.
Here’s the boys as soon as the night vision switched off

[Lani]

Jul 27, 2024  #royalcam #albatross #TAIAROA
TF is now off to the right of his natal nest coming close to SSTrig territory. He stands up and shows off his magnificent wings and wing span right at the cam! Enjoy some great closeups of TF flapping and preening.

LGL is seen in flying in & has a beautiful arrival landing close to TF. He walks over wheeing to Mom so happy to see a parent come in. LGL gives TF a quick feeding and then she starts to walk to the left. TF followed her wheeing and she stops and tops him off and then departs over the sea. It was a very short visit from Mom today. LGL will however come back later in the afternoon to give TF another feeding! 💕 Thank you for watching!

Royal Albatross ~ Amazing Closeups Of TF Spreading Out His Wings! LGL Flies In To Feed TF 💕 7.28.24
Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyal33X3Q_4&t=6s



TF chick watching the sun set 

[Lani]

Kia ora koutou (hello everyone)

The Royal Cam Name the Chick competition has begun!

It is an honour and a privilege to be able to name one of such a special taonga (treasure) species such as the toroa. We have been given permissions to name one of the Royalcam chicks and that is the Top Flat chick, parents LGK and LGL.

Name submissions will close on 23 August 2024 at 5 pm (New Zealand time) so get in quick.

To go in the draw to win loads of awesome prizes, all you need to do is…

1) Submit a name suggestion for the chick.
2) Do an action for the environment that can help protect albatross.
3) Then take a photo of your action.

Super simple! Get in quick, head over to our website to find out more details and how to enter (Entries are only valid through our website)

T's and C's apply: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/namethechick/name-the-chick-entry-form/terms-and-conditions/

Enter here: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/namethechick/

The judging criteria is as follows:

*Relevance to the theme of what happens on land impacts our oceans, the chick, colony or species.
*Originality and creativity of the name and inspiration.
*Reflective of the characteristics of northern royal albatross or their habitat on Pukekura/Taiaroa Head.

TF chick 

[Lani]

TF chick as the sun is setting!

[Lani]

Royal Albatross - Weighing and supplementary feeding Update (9.55am)

Top Flat chick is 190 days old and weighs 8.0 kg    prior to supplementary feeding.  He was weighed at 9kg on the 23rd of July and has only has 3 feeds since then. LGL was in twice on Sunday 28th July and LGK arrived on Monday 29th July. We have fed him 1kg in fish and 600ml of fluids.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/track-the-chicks-weight/

Top Flat Track chick is 186 days old today and has remained at such a consistently high weight that we are no longer weighing him weekly.
He is being fed by his parents more regularly than Top Flat chick is.

Video - Royal Albatross ~ DOC Rangers Give Royalcam Chick TF His First Supplementary Feeding! 💕 8.4.24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWdSETzBaoU&t=1s

Aug 3, 2024  #TAIAROA #royalcam #albatross
This morning Ranger Sharyn & helper went to weigh TF and seeing his below average weight, decided to give him his supplementary feeding and fluids. TF weighed 8.0kg (17.63 lbs) which is down from 9.0kg at his last weigh-in taken July 23rd. During this time, he only received three feedings (two from LGL on July 28th and one from LGK on July 29th).

The rangers gave TF 1kg (2.2 lbs) of fish and 600ml of fluids for hydration today. TFT chick was not weighed last Tuesday and has remained at such a consistently high weight that they are no longer weighing him weekly.

I am sure that TF feels a lot better with this big meal in his tummy! ♥ Enjoy some beautiful sunset footage of him from  the other day! Many thanks to Ranger Sharyn and entire team for all their excellent work taking care of the albatross chicks to make sure they are all healthy and at a good weight! Thank you for watching!

Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk

TF chick with a full tummy will sleep well tonight 

[Lani]

Royal Albatross update

Top Flat chick is 196 days old and weighs 8.3 kg. The last recorded weight was 8 kg after which he was supplementary fed 1.6 kg fluids and fish. He may be supplementary fed again tomorrow.

By this stage, peak weight of a toroa chick has been reached and they start losing weigh prior to fledging.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/track-the-chicks-weight/

Top Flat Track chick is 188 days old and weighs 8.8 kg. The last recorded weight was 10.5 kg.
We are unable to keep both chicks on cam at the same time now as they are further apart. We pan over to Top Flat Track chick when we can.

Stainless steel banding of the colony’s chicks will occur on Friday 9th 2024

What To Expect On The Royal Albatross Cam: July–August | Banding And Preparing To Fledge.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzKjZ2iiUks&t=30s

A normal part of preparing to fledge is regurgitation of a bolus of hard indigestible parts of food in the developing chick’s stomach.
Increasing, we are finding plastic in these boluses, but they should be made up of squid beaks and bones. Below photo.



Earlier this morning Dad LGK returns for feeding TF chick 

[Lani]

16 hours ago TFT Chick


TFT chick with his Mom BOK

[Lani]

Royal Albatross
Top Flat chick is 199 days old and was banded with a Stainless-Steel band which has a GLS tag cable tied to it.

Top Flat Track chick is 191 days old and was also banded with a Stainless-Steel band and a GLS tag.

All this seasons’ chicks are now fully banded, 10 males and 10 of the females have GLS tags (see below for more information).

We are unable to keep both chicks on cam at the same time now as they are further apart. We pan over to Top Flat Track chick when we can.


I mage DOC. Darvic bands, males receive black bands and females are banded with the yellow bands for quick identification of the sex of each toroa. Most chicks have already received their alphanumeric darvic bands to avoid misidentification during the weighing rounds as they became more mobile during July. This season’s cohort have received E bands.

The plastic bands have been upgraded to high quality darvic bands that do not need glued down onto themselves.


Image DOC. Geo Location Sensor (GLS) tag to be cable tied onto a stainless-steel band.

As during Manaaki’s season* chicks are receiving GLS tags so that we can collect the location data for up to 3 years of toroa flights in research that has never been carried out in this species before.

TF chick receiving a little loving from dad LGK before he leaves for the sea. 


Dad WYL saying hello to his boy TFT 

[Lani]

Royal Albatross - Weigh day update (from 10.10am)

Top Flat chick is 203 days old and weighs 8.8 kg. It has been a busy week for Top Flat chick with a supplementary feed on the 8th of August, banding and a Geolocation Sensor attached on the 9th of August, another weight check on the 10th of August and several feeds from LGK and LGL. During this time his weight had increased from 8.3 kg to 8.9 kg the 10th of August.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/track-the-chicks-weight/

Top Flat Track chick is 195 days old and weighs 9 kg. Last week Top Flat Track chick was 8.8 kg, but this was the first lower weight for him and not yet a concern. Both WYL and BOK are still feeding their chick.

DOC Rangers Band And Tag Northern Royal Albatross Chicks Across The Colony – Aug. 9, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VU3gjD4m70&t=8s

Supplementary feed requirements around the colony have been on the increase over the last few weeks.

TFT chick testing his wings!


TF chick this chilly morning. 45 degrees partly cloudy day 

[Lani]

An adult toroa weighs around 7kg and can easily go for 2 weeks without food.


Before the end of LGK and LGL’s last successful breeding season when they raised Tiaki, LGK was travelling further and further to find enough food.

[Lani]

8/18
TF with a weigh in and sunday morning smoothie. Sharyn expertly handles a wild, hungry chick combined with a minor equipment issue.



LGL leaving after giving TF another feeding... all good... TF had 3 feedings in one day.