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title: "“Weighed in the balance”.  Deducing meal sizes fed to Northern Royal Albatross chicks"
---

# “Weighed in the balance”.  Deducing meal sizes fed to Northern Royal Albatross chicks

Junichi Sugishita ([Department of Zoology](http://www.otago.ac.nz/zoology/index.html), University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand) and colleagues have published in the *[New Zealand Journal of Ecology](http://newzealandecology.org/nzje)* on recording meal sizes of Northern Royal Albatross *Diomedea sanfordi*chicks with an automatic weighing system.

 The paper’s abstract follows:

 “Periodic weighing of seabird chicks is labour-intensive and repeated handling can cause high levels of disturbance to chicks.  Although automatic weighing systems using a fibreglass nest have been designed for albatross species with a pedestal nest made of mud, this approach is inappropriate for great albatross species (genus Diomedea) whose nests consist of a low mound of soil and vegetation.  We developed an automatic weighing technique, using a digital scale beneath a natural nest, to remotely measure meal size in great albatrosses.  To illustrate the system’s capability when used coupled with time-lapse cameras, we present sample data by comparing meal sizes fed to chicks by male and female parents of northern royal albatross (*Diomedea sanfordi*).  Our weighing system is not only applicable to other great albatross species, but can also be modified to allow automatic weighing of other terrestrial breeders.”

  ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/N/Northern_Royal/norther_royal_albatross_nest balance_junichi_sugishita.jpg)

 Junichi Sugishita adjusts his weighing balance underneath a watching Northern Royal Albatross chick

 **Reference:**

 Sugishita, J., McKenzie, M. Torres, L.G. & Seddon, P.J. 2017.  Automated techniques for measuring meal size in great albatrosses.  [*New Zealand Journal of Ecology* 41(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.41.6](http://newzealandecology.org/nzje/3293.pdf).

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 25 October 2016*