

Royal Albatross ~ QT Defends Herself From Curious Juveniles! Bravo Young Chick!
Lady Hawk
(GT tulkojums)Sharyn Broni (Ranger, DOC)
Weigh day for Royalcam chick, Quarry Track day 76, weight 4.9kg. There will be a reweigh on Saturday 16th April if not enough feeding by parents is seen before then.
We will Name the Chick during May, just a heads up that this year the competition will be a little different. More about this later.
(GT)Sharyn Broni (Ranger, DOC) Mod
Kia ora koutou (hello everyone)
The Pukekura/Taiaroa Head Toroa population is only 1% of the world population making each chick valuable to the sustainability of the colony. Supplementary feeding and medical attention are supplied as needed to increase all chicks survival to fledging. Weekly weighing, and visual checks can pick up issues such as a missing parent. This is when rangers step in with feeding.
The Royal Albatross Centre www.albatross.org.nz/ are observing and reporting to us what they see of the chicks on view as well as providing an extra pair of hands when we need help with supplementary feeding.
Observation Post foster chick was been observed vomiting twice at 2 months of age, this was unprovoked and not the typical defence mechanism oil spill. A significant weight loss meant that a trip to the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital https://www.wildlifehospitaldunedin.org.nz/ was arranged.
Dunedin Wildlife Hospital provides excellent wildlife veterinary expertise and equipment that we do not have on the headland. Here is a look at Observation Post chicks brief stay in hospital.
The good news is that after some careful feeding to slowly gain weight and a short course of antibiotics the male chick at Observation Post is now doing well. A major concern during times like these is the loss of one or both parents. Fortunately the male parent known by his bands Green Orange Black as GOK was observed feeding his foster chick on Friday. Reweighing of the chick showed that 1kg of squid or fish or octopus was fed!
A BIG thank you to the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital and the Royal Albatross Centre for their support!