Northern Royal Albatross

80% of life spent at sea, return to land only to breed.
Albatross breed / nest every second year

MID SEPTEMBER:   Arrival of breeding birds, re-establish pair bonds, re-build nest.

OCTOBER:   Mating and courtship.

NOVEMBER:   Egg laying (1 egg) which is incubated for 79 days, 1 parent must remain on egg at all times.

DECEMBER & JANUARY:   Both parents share incubation (and rearing of chick equally) changing over at the nest once a week.

FEBRUARY:   Guard stage - (40 days) - at all times one or other of the parents will guard the chick. Parents changing over 2 or 3 times a week i.e. feeding the chick only  2 or 3 times a week.

MARCH TO SEPT:   Post guard stage through fledging - (210 days) - where the chick is alone at the nest and waits patiently for its parents to come in from sea to feed it. Parents can spend as little as 5 minutes with the chick 2 times a week. (i.e. full time job for both parents to find enough food to feed their chick). In August and September chicks very active, flapping wings exercising wing muscles.

SEPTEMBER: Chicks take their first flight and leave Taiaroa. 

Young albatross will not return to land until 4 or 6 years old.

NB: Best Albatross viewing is during October and November when the breeding birds are showing off to one another. Also good through to March as young albatross come in over the summer to select a mate and spend a lot of  time displaying their flying ability.

Albatross mate for life (pair for life) aged 6 to 9 years, life expectancy 35 years.