1000 up! A Northern Royal Albatross colony reaches a milestone

The 2026/26 Royal Cam hatchling gets its second feed, photograph from the Department of Conservation

A milestone has been reached for the Endangered Northern Royal Albatrosses Diomedea sanfordi in the intensively managed colony at Pukekura /Taiaroa Head on the New Zealand mainland with the hatching of the colony’s 1000th chick

The 1000th hatched chick in the current 2025/26 breeding season follows on from the record 38 chicks fledged in the 2024/25 season, overtaking the previous record number of 33.

The 500th chick shortly before fledging

“Last season was a fantastic one for us with great weather and plenty of food available for the parents so we’re hoping for another great season for these newly hatched toroa.  Our success rate with the chicks has just been going up and up.  Interestingly, when the colony first started with one breeding pair in 1938 through until 2007, 500 chicks hatched.  It’s only taken us under 20 years to double that number, so we are getting better at it.”

Information from the Department of Conservation.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 03 February 2026