Meet Lilibet - she is nearly 1 year old, loves to eat only the freshest of fish, and is social media royalty.
The toroa northern royal albatross chick featured on this season’s Royal Cam livestream for many months while she hatched and turned from a fuzzy white ball into a regal bird, before spreading her long wings and fledging to the open sea on September 3.
She was the first to fledge from the Taiaroa Head colony, so it seemed only right to name her Lilibet, to acknowledge the late Queen.
After discussions with the Pukekura Co-management Trust, which includes representatives from mana whenua, the Dunedin City Council and Department of Conservation, the name Lilibet was confirmed this week.
Lilibet is now on a huge global journey that will take her tens of thousands of kilometres over several years - a journey which will see her return to the colony at some stage.
Royal Albatross Centre ecotourism manager Hoani Langsbury said he and fellow staff were cognisant of the role the royals played in their day-to-day lives at Pukekura.
"I think Lilibet is the most appropriate name for this chick at this time."
"The Royal Albatross Centre was officially opened by Anne, Princess Royal, in 1989.
"Prince (now King) Charles also visited the colony in 2005 and is an advocate for albatross conservation, including sharing a Live Ocean video produced in Dunedin for World Albatross Day in 2020."
She said the latest season had been successful, with 25 chicks at the colony, of which at least 23 had already fledged.
Unfortunately, the disappearance of some of the chicks’ parents meant some of the chicks had to be hand-fed.
This highlighted the threats albatrosses faced in the wild, she said.
"We can all help by picking up rubbish at beaches and around waterways, so plastic doesn’t get into the ocean, as toroa can mistake it for food which can have serious consequences."
About 20 adult albatrosses have returned to the colony and the next breeding season has already started, she said.
