The first toroa, or royal albatross, chicks of the season have taken flight from Pukekura/Taiaroa Head near Dunedin. This awesome event was announced by the Department of Conservation (DOC) on 8 September 2026.
Taiaroa Head is the only mainland breeding site for toroa/northern royal albatross anywhere in the world. Rangers there have spent months looking after the huge seabirds, which have wingspans of up to three metres.
DOC biodiversity ranger Sharyn Broni said it was an exciting time of year. “Now, we’re at this exciting time of year when the chicks start to leave as all the hard work the rangers have done pays off,” she said.
One well-known chick called Āwheo, who has been watched by fans all over the world on the Royal Cam livestream, has also left the nest. The livestream is now in its tenth year and gets millions of views annually.
Broni said the chicks were fully grown and ready for the journey ahead. “These chicks are huge and, understandably, their parents are exhausted from seven months of feeding them!” she said.
The young birds will now spend around five years out at sea, travelling huge distances across the Pacific Ocean, before they return to breed. Last season, a record 38 chicks fledged from the colony.
Bill Karaitiana, chairman of Te Poari a Pukekura, the group that helps manage the site alongside DOC, said the birds played an important role. “These special manu give us many more pairs of eyes which will be flying over and surveying the ocean ecosystem,” he said.
For now, rangers are keeping a close eye on the last few chicks still waiting to take their first flight.
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