GLG (Green Lime Green Female) is incubating her egg now for the 6th day. Her partner RLK (Red Lime Black male) is out at sea foraging for food. When he returns, he will take over incubation of the their egg & GLG will go out to sea to forage for food. They both share in equal parenting of the egg and in raising their chick.

The video opens with GLG getting up to take a brief wing stretch & then she shimmies right back down on the egg. One of the fascinating facts of the albatross is the length of time they spend incubating the egg with very little breaks in between. The incubating parent will not eat or drink during their time on the nest they will wait for their mate to return & then fly off to find food. The incubating parent can be on nest for days, a week or longer each time. That is amazing dedication!

We have some beautiful closeups of GLG as she is sleeping tucked in. You may notice her eyelashes they are actually called rictal bristles and they may aid in nocturnal navigation, foraging for food & burrow nesting. They also provide protection to the eyes food parts, debris & flying particles.

Ranger Colin comes to the nest and he whistles beforehand so that GLG will wake up and he does not startle her (timestamp 05:11) He then gently puts his hand underneath her which causes her to rise up. Ranger Colin is checking the bands to see who is on the nest (GLG or RLK) and also does a quick egg check. The rangers keep meticulous notes on how many days each parent is on the nest incubating. They have in some cases, had to give fluids or feed the incubating parent when they have been there for two weeks. This prevents dehydration & nest abandonment by the parent while they wait for their partner to return. The rangers play a crucial role in the success of the colony and the fledging of the chicks each season. Thank you for watching!

Timestamp: Ranger Colin nest check 05:11

Video captured & edited by Lady Hawk

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20242025 Season

The new Royalcam couple has been chosen and it is RLK & GLG! They have a fertile egg and are nesting once again at Signal Station Trig! RLK (Red, Lime, black) is a 12yearold male and GLG (Green, Lime Green) a 14yearold female. This pair started breeding in 2019/20, but their egg failed that season. They successfully raised two female chicks during 2021 and 2023 respectively. Their nests during these seasons were not far from the Royalcam nests of Tiaki and Manaaki and the chicks were seen on cam later in the season.


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!   / 991026361293354  

Courtesy of Dept of Conservation Royal Cam, Royal Albatross Taiaroa Head, New Zealand

Cam Link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/ro...