Royal Albatross Nest - Taiaroa Head, New Zealand

High on a windswept clifftop at Pukekura, also known as Taiaroa Head, at the tip of the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin in New Zealand, a northern royal albatross is raising its chick.

Known as toroa in Māori, these are among the largest flying birds on Earth, with wings stretching around 10 feet from tip to tip, and almost all of them nest on remote islands far out at sea. This headland is the exception, home to the only mainland albatross breeding colony in the Southern Hemisphere.

Much of the time it's quiet, since a parent can sit on the nest for days. The big moments come when its partner glides in from the ocean to take over, or returns to feed a hungry, fluffy chick. Between breeding seasons the nest sits empty for part of the year.

Did You Know? Once a young albatross leaves this headland, it won’t touch land again for several years. It stays out over the Southern Ocean, even sleeping on the wing, before returning to the very same clifftop to find a mate.

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