Royal Albatross 💖 Plateau Weighs 9.2kg - One Of the HEAVIEST CHICKS! BOK Gives Big Feeding 💖 5.12.26

The Name The Chick competition is back!! This year's competition theme is habitat restoration. Royal albatross rely on healthy habitats at sea and on land. But these habitats are under pressure from climate change, pollution, especially plastic waste and human activities. This year's theme invites you to reflect on the place’s albatross call home and the role we all play in protecting them. Your chosen name could draw on ideas of renewal, resilience, guardianship, or the natural world. By taking part, you're helping raise awareness of the importance of restoring and caring for these habitats so future generations of albatross can thrive. Entries close: 28 May 2026 at 5 pm (NZST) so get in quick. Read more here… https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/namethechick/ And.. 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/ Entry form: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/namethechick/name-the-chick-entry-form/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Plateau chick is 110 days old and he came in weighing today 9.2kg (20.28 lbs) - he increased his weight by 1.8kg over the past two weeks and is one of the heaviest chicks in the colony! After Plateau was weighed, Mum BOK came in and gave his a huge feeding so he is even heavier!! Well done WYL & BOK! From Sharyn Broni on the 2025/26 season update: "A record 40 chicks hatched this season; however, one 2-day old chick has died leaving 39 chicks to manage. There are 17 females and 22 males. This was determined by testing a small blood sample. It is important to know the sex of each chick in case supplementary feeding is required. Monitoring each chick’s weight is now the big task until fledging in September. Chicks that are thriving will only be weighed every second week so this will bring down the top weight every second week. Current weights are ranging from 4.8 to 9.2 kg and the lightest one is receiving regular supplementary feeds. In non-breeding news over 100 adolescents have arrived over the season but many have now left for the winter. Feeding trips are interspersed with time on the headland. It takes 2 inexperienced birds 3 seasons to find a mate before they start breeding. It appears that foraging is better this season compared with the last season and more adolescents have spent time on the headland. Pairs that have separated off from the gams will have one more summer of ‘keeping company’ before they start breeding. They will all head across the Pacific Ocean by mid-May for the winter. " Thank you for watching! Read more about the work the rangers do with the toroa here: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/rangers-work-for-royal-albatross/ Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk Please join the official facebook group Royal Cam Albatross Group New Zealand for up to date information on the albatross family and to share information on albatross conservation, photos and comments! https://www.facebook.com/groups/991026361293354/ Courtesy of Dept of Conservation Royal Cam, Royal Albatross Taiaroa Head, New Zealand Watch the livestream here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/royal-albatross/