WYL and BOK 2023
Image: Sharyn Broni | DOC
This season's Royal Cam family
WYL and BOK at Plateau 2025/26
Male: WYL (bands white, yellow, lime)
- Breeding since: 2022
Female: BOK (bands blue, orange, black)
- Breeding since: 2022
WYL and BOK have no previous mates. Their first egg failed but they raised a male chick in cam view during 2024, the season Kiwa fledged.
- Egg laid: 6 November 2025
Previous Royal Cam families
- 2025: A85, GLG and Kaewa
- 2024: LGK, LGL and Kiwa
- 2023: GLY, L and Manaaki
- 2022: OGK, YRK and Lilibet
- 2021: LGK, LGL and Tiaki
- 2020: OGK, YRK and Atawhai
- 2019: LGK, LGL and Karere
- 2018: GO, WO and Amīria
- 2017: BK, RBK and Tūmanako
- 2016: YWK, KGY and Moana
RLK/A85 and GLG (Signal Station Trig) 2024/25
Kaewa May 2025
Image: Sharyn Broni | DOC
Kaewa (female chick E55)
- Egg laid: 11 November 2024
- Female chick hatched: 28 January 2025
- Fledged: 17 September 2025
Male
- Previously known as RLK (red/lime/black bands) but rebanded as A85 (black band)
- Age: 12 years
- Breeding since 2019
Female
- Known as GLG (green/lime/green bands)
- Age: 14 years
- Breeding since 2019
LGK and LGL (Top Flat) WYL and BOK (Top Flat Track) 2023/24
LGK and LGL with Top Flat chick
Image:DOC
Top Flat
Kiwa (male chick, banded E24)
- Egg laid: 7 November 2023
- Hatched: 23 January 2024
- Fledged: 23 September 2024
Female
- Known as: LGL (Lime/Green/Lime bands)
- Age: 15 years, hatched 2008
- Breeding since: 2017/18
Male
- Known as: LGK (Lime/Green/blacK bands)
- Age: 12 years, hatched 2010
- Breeding since: 2017/18
Family history to date
Following a failed egg in 2017 LGK and LGL have raised 3 Royalcam chicks, Karere and Tiaki and Kiwa.
Read about Tiaki. LGK, LGL and Tiaki were GPS tracked.
LGK and LGL returned last season as expected following their year off after fledging Tiaki but unexpectedly did not lay an egg.
Bonus viewing of Top of Flat Track
WYL and BOK
Offspring
- Egg laid: 14 November 2023
- Male chick hatched: 31 January 2024
- Banded E25
Female
- Known as: BOK (Blue/Orange/blacK bands)
- Age: 10 years, hatched 2013
- Breeding since: 2022/23
Male
- Known as: WYL (White/Yellow/Lime bands)
- Age: 9 years, hatched 2014
- Breeding since: 2022/23
Family History to Date
WYL and BOK were first time breeders during 2022/23 but their egg did not hatch.
GLY, L and Manaaki 2022/23
Royal albatross chick Manaaki has a GLS (Global Location Sensor) tag attached to one of his leg bands
GLY and L are new to the Royal Cam as a nesting pair but have each made guest appearances in front of the cam. GLY famously and rather unusually fed Karere during 2019. Spectacularly, this is quite likely L landing in front of Tiaki in 2019. Their chick was named Manaaki by public vote on World Albatross Day,19 June 2023.
Manaaki (male chick)
- Laid: 4 November 2022
- Hatched: 20 January 2023
- Fledged: 16 September 2023 age 239 days
Female
- Known as: L (Lime band, she has lost her Orange and Yellow bands)
- Age: 13 years, hatched 2009
- Breeding since: 2019
Male
- Known as: GLY (Green/Lime/Yellow bands)
- Age: 12 years, hatched 2010
- Breeding since: 2019
- His Dad is YWK so is a half sibling of Moana.
OGK, YRK and Lilibet, 2021/22
See the moment the chick became the first to fledge from the headland in 2022
OGK and YRK have moved down the hill to Quarry Track since raising Atawhai at Top Flat in 2020. They are in view of the Richdale Observatory.
Lilibet (female chick named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II)
- Laid: 9 November 2021
- Hatched: 26 January 2022
- Fledged: 3 September 2022, 220 days old
Female
- Known as: YRK (yellow/red/black bands)
- Age at time: 28 years, hatched 1994
- Breeding since: 2006
Male
- Known as: OGK (orange/green/black bands)
- Age: 24 years, hatched 1998
- Breeding since: 2006
LGK, LGL and Tiaki, 2021
Watch our highlights video for the 2021 season
LGK and LGL nested this season up the hill from their previous nests at Top Flat. The chick was named Tiaki by public vote on 11 May 2021.
Tiaki (female chick)
- Laid: 7 November 2020
- Hatched: 24 January 2021
- Fledged 25 September 2021 (age: 244 days)
Female
- Known as: LGL (lime/green/lime bands)
- Age: 12 years, hatched 2008
- Breeding since: 2017
Male
- Known as: LGK (lime/green/black bands)
- Age: 11 years, hatched 2009
- Breeding since: 2017
- His dad is GO, the foster dad of past Royal Cam chick, Amīria
Track the Royal family
You can see where Tiaki and her parents have been while they had trackers fitted.
OGK, YRK and Atawhai, 2020
Watch our highlights video about Atawhai
Last season Royal Cam began a partnership with Cornell Bird Lab. We launched our new features including a trial of night vision and the ability to pan the camera.
Atawhai (female chick)
- Laid: 14 November 2019
- Hatched: 31 January 2020
- Fledged 16 September 2020 at 230 days of age
Female
- Known as: YRK (yellow/red/black bands)
- Age at time: 26 years, hatched 1994
- Breeding since: 2006
Male
- Known as: OGK (orange/green/black bands)
- Age at time: 22 years, hatched 1998
- Breeding since: 2006
LGK, LGL and Karere, 2019
Albatross chick, Karere
Image: DOC
Chick: Karere
- Hatched: 24 January 2019
- Fledged: 23 September 2019 at 243 days of age
Hear how to pronounce ‘Karere’ (MP4, 239K).
Female
- Known as: LGL (lime/green/lime bands)
- Age at time: 11 years, hatched 2008
- Breeding since: 2017
Male
- Known as: LGK (lime/green/black bands)
- Age at time: 10 years, hatched 2009
- Breeding since: 2017
GO, WO and Amīria, 2018
Albatross chick Amīria
Image: DOC
Chick: Amīria
- Laid: 5 November 2017
- Hatched: 27 January 2018
- Fostered: 7 March 2018
- Fledged: 7 September 2018 at 229 days of age
- Returned 12 December 2024 at 2517 days or 6 years of age
- Banded YA43
Foster male: GO (green/orange bands)
Foster female: WO (white/orange bands)
BK, RBK and Tūmanako, 2017
Albatross chick Tūmanako after "spilling"
Image: DOC
Chick: Tūmanako
- Laid: 12 November 2016
- Hatched: 28 January 2017
- Named: 4 July 2017
- Fledged: 28 September 2017 at 243 days of age
- Returned: 19 December 2021 at 1803 days of age (approx. 5 years)
- Banded ROR (Red, Orange, Red) 24 December 2021
Male: BK (blue/black bands)
Female: RBK (red/blue/black bands)
Why Tūmanako was oily
During a weigh in when Tūmanako was about two months old, he got quite agitated and as a defensive behaviour he 'spilled' on himself. Spilling is a defence mechanism where the chick ejects a smelly, sticky substance called ‘proventriculus oil’ when it feels threatened. You can see it on the chick's face.
When Tūmanako was just days old he became unwell and lost weight. He was much smaller than other chicks who hatched at the same time. So, he was moved to a foster nest closer to our ranger's office so they could closely monitor him.
Another chick was put in his place for BK and RBK to foster. When Tūmanako recovered, he swapped places with his parents foster chick. The foster chick could not be placed with its original parents, as they deserted it when the chick was still in its egg.
YWK, KGY and chick, 2017
Chick
- Laid: 7 November 2017
- Hatched: 22 January 2018
- Died: 18 February 2018. Sadly, this chick died after attack by a parent
Male: YWK (yellow/white/black bands)
Female: KGY (black/green/yellow bands)
YWK, KGY and Moana, 2016
Watch our highlights video on Moana's time on Royal Cam
Chick: Moana
- Laid: 6 November 2015
- Hatched: 18 January 2016
- Named: 21 June 2016
- Fledged: 6 September 2016
- Confirmed returned on 15 January 2023 at 7 years old
- Banded Yellow A55 on 15 December 2023
Male: YWK (yellow/white/black bands)
Female: KGY (black/green/yellow bands)