Feeding time at Taiaroa

Department of Conservation ranger Colin Facer (left) and head ranger Lyndon Perriman. Photo...
Department of Conservation ranger Colin Facer (left) and head ranger Lyndon Perriman. Photo supplied by DOC.

Department of Conservation rangers hand fed the northern royal albatross chick which hatched at Taiaroa Head in January.

Taiaroa Head manager of operations Hoani Langsbury said supplementary feeding, in the form of 500g-1000g of fresh fish, was provided when parent albatrosses were not seen often enough. The chick yesterday weighed 6.8kg. Last week it was 8.2kg.

The parents of the Taiaroa Head-born chick were "generally pretty good''. However, staff were supplementing the chick's feed so it did not become underweight when its parents were away, he said.

Parents usually visited their chicks every three to four days.

Additional feeding was a regular occurrence at the colony, and one or two chicks received food from staff each day.

A feral cat which was recorded on a webcam stalking the sleeping chick remained at large, Mr Langsbury said.

"We are having to modify what we do to catch it.''

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