---
title: "Record breeding season for Northern Royal Albatrosses at New Zealand’s Taiaroa Head"
---

# Record breeding season for Northern Royal Albatrosses at New Zealand’s Taiaroa Head

 ![Tiaki 12 September 2021 Sharyn Broni](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/N/Northern_Royal/Tiaki_12_September_2021_Sharyn_Broni.jpg)*The Royal Cam chick Tiaki in September 2021, a few weeks before fledging; photograph by Sharyn Broni*

 The 2020/21 breeding season of globally [Endangered](http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/northern-royal-albatross-diomedea-sanfordi) and nationally [Naturally Uncommon](https://www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/northern-royal-albatross) Northern Royal Albatrosses *Diomedea sanfordi* in the mainland colony at [Pukekura/Taiaroa Head](https://www.acap.aq/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1307-acap-breeding-sites-no-6-taiaroa-head-pukekura-new-zealand-an-albatross-colony-on-the-mainland) on New Zealand’s South Island has been a record one with 30 chicks now having fledged.  The last chick took flight on 03 October 2021; the first having left around 6 September.  A total of 41 eggs (the second highest number of eggs recorded) had been laid of which 36 hatched, giving a hatching success of 87.8% ([click here](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/3993-northern-royal-albatrosses-at-new-zealand-s-taiaroa-head-pukekura-are-having-a-good-season?highlight=WyJ0YWlhcm9hIiwidGFpYXJvYSdzIiwyMDIxXQ==)), and an overall breeding success of 73.2%.

 *![Tiaki wingspread](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/N/Northern_Royal/Tiaki_wingspread.jpg)***Tiaki spreads her wings, exposing the back-mounted satellite tracker; Royal Cam photograph**

 The second-last chick to fledge was the one that has been under observation by the live-streaming ‘[Royal Cam](https://www.doc.govt.nz/royalcam)’.  Named Tiaki, the female bird has been [fitted with a GPS satellite tracker](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/4155-dunedin-rings-its-bells-today-for-the-return-of-pukekura-taiaroa-head-s-northern-royal-albatrosses-for-a-new-season-and-the-royalcam-chick-gets-a-satellite-tracker?highlight=WyJ0YWlhcm9hIiwidGFpYXJvYSdzIiwyMDIxXQ==), the first chick to be tracked from the colony.   Those interested can follow her at-sea movements[here](https://my.wildlifecomputers.com/data/map/?id=6008d9ba31af59139976bcfe&fbclid=IwAR27Nc_Ji8D_BGTrFwm9Q3MHbqIEsN3CmVvTdqCvWn2YWlt0HCOSDdn0cxQ).

 Information from [Sharyn Broni](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/4150-featuring-acap-listed-species-and-their-photographers-the-northern-royal-albatross-by-sharyn-broni), the [Royal Albatross Centre Facebook Page](https://www.facebook.com/albatrosscentre) and from previous posts to [*ACAP Latest News*](https://www.acap.aq/news/latest-news).

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 05 October 2021*