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title: "Manaaki, this year’s Northern Royal Albatross Royal Cam chick, has fledged, leaving regurgitated plastic behind"
---

# Manaaki, this year’s Northern Royal Albatross Royal Cam chick, has fledged, leaving regurgitated plastic behind

 ![Manaaki 27 August 2023 Sharyn Broni](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/N/Northern_Royal/Manaaki_27_August_2023_Sharyn_Broni.jpg)  
*Still some down to lose, the Royal Cam chick on 27 August, photograph by Sharyn Broni*

 The 2023 Royal Cam chick, named [Manaaki](https://acap.aq/latest-news/the-latest-royal-cam-albatross-chick-gets-its-name-on-world-albatross-day?highlight=WyJtYW5hYWtpIl0=), has fledged from [Pukekura/Taiaroa Head](https://acap.aq/news/news-archive/2013-news-archive/acap-breeding-sites-no-6-taiaroa-head-pukekura-new-zealand-an-albatross-colony-on-the-mainland) on New Zealand’s South Island at an average age of 240 days and of a “healthy weight”. The globally [Endangered](http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/northern-royal-albatross-diomedea-sanfordi) Northern Royal Albatross *Diomedea sanfordi* chick, identified genetically as a male, was last seen hovering above the ground by the [live-streaming camera](https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/) during strong winds and then flew out of camera frame during the afternoon of 16 September. It was not seen within the colony the next morning.

 *![Manaaki plastic regurges](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/N/Northern_Royal/Manaaki_plastic_regurges.jpg)  
Manaaki’s regurgitated plastic pieces*

 Before fledging, Manaaki regurgitated some pieces of plastic within a bolus of squid beaks alongside its nest, reminding us that this year’s theme for World Albatross Day on 19 June was [“Plastic Pollution”](https://acap.aq/world-albatross-day/wad2023-plastic-pollution) (read an [earlier ACAP Latest News post](https://acap.aq/latest-news/not-my-little-pony-a-northern-royal-albatross-chick-at-pukekura-taiaroa-head-new-zealand-avoids-ingesting-plastic?highlight=WyJwb255Il0=) on regurgitated plastic at Taiaroa Head).

 Over the next few days both colour-banded parents of the Royal Cam chick were seen visiting the empty nest (watch a [short video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5-wTB-BYqw) of the male parent returning).)

 As of 17 September, 18 chicks have fledged from the headland colony leaving 15 still to go; by today (21st) only nine chicks of the 32 remain in the colony.

 News from the Facebook groups [Albatross Lovers](https://www.facebook.com/groups/albatrosslovers) and the [Royal Albatross Centre](https://www.facebook.com/albatrosscentre).

 *John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 21 September 2023\\*