The Royal Cam goes live at Tairaoa Head at a Northern Royal Albatross nest

Northern Royal Albatross with a hatchling at Taiaroa Head

A live-streaming web camera, nicknamed the Royal Cam, was switched on yesterday at a nest of the Endangered Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi with a six-day old chick on New Zealand’s Taiaroa Head.

“Currently a parent can be seen brooding a chick.  It will be fed regularly throughout the day.  In between times the adults will either be resting or nest building.  The web cam is facing south, so on a clear day you'll see Dunedin city in the distance.  Keep an eye out for cruise ships and other vessels sailing by, or for little blue penguins heading back to their nests at dusk.”

Short highlight videos are also being posted, that depict the young chick being fed and other activities.  The camera has an infra-red capability so activities at the nest after dark can also be followed.  Read more about the Royal Cam here.

Click here to follow a similar camera filming a group of Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis nests on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 27 January 2016