Royal Cam Zooms In Close For Preening Session With Albatross Chick | DOC | Cornell Lab

The Quarry Track chick is only a couple weeks away from fledging, and she knows how important it is to keep her flight equipment up to code before take off. Watch the 7-month-old nestling keep her feathers maintained in the lead up to the big day.

RoyalCam was set up in January 2016 by the Department of Conservation. For the 2021-22 season we have collaborated with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. To learn more while watching, view the cam at

or at

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Royal Cam is a 24-hour live stream of a Northern Royal Albatross nest during the breeding season at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head on the southeast tip of New Zealand's South Island.

The 2021/22 Royal Albatross cam season is underway with a return performance from breeding pair YRK (the female, named for her leg bands colored yellow/red/black) and OGK (the male, orange/green/black), last seen on cam in 2019-2021. The female laid the pair’s egg on November 9.

A new season means a fresh view of the Taiaroa Head Nature Reserve’s windswept headland! The camera has been repositioned to feature this new nest for the official start of the season. Be sure to follow the cam on Twitter

to get all the updates during what’s sure to be another action-packed season on New Zealand’s South Island.

#birdcams #live #albatross #birds #wildlife #nature #nowplaying #newzealand #endangeredspecies

[olgamihajlova]

yes, royal albatrosses hatch eggs for a long time, raise one chick for a long time, fly far, and only over the ocean. unique birds 💖

[turbofanlover]

Oh, so only a couple of weeks until fledging. Nice. And it's been 7 months to get to this point. Amazing. These really are fascinating birds.

[ambhat]

Super beautiful look after protection. Thanks. NZGovt Wild life conservation dept family

[tracy]

I love the scratch and stretch combo move.

[lollol]

I miss you dear QT baby. I hope you're enjoying exploring the world. Let us know how your journey was when you return back after some five or six (or more) years when you (hopefully) return back here. Till then, keep soaring high!