Grandma
At over 60 years of age, “Grandma” a Northern Royal Albatross, is the oldest banded bird in the world – and incredibly, she is still breeding.
With its three-metre wingspan the northern royal albatross is the world’s largest seabird. Come with the Wild South team as they visit Grandma, the oldest known, tagged bird.
A gentle sociable bird, Grandma was one of the first albatross to call at Taiaroa Head, near Dunedin, New Zealand the only mainland-breeding colony in the world. Join Grandma six decades on and share in the intimacy of courtship, engagement and the life-long bonding of this rare and beautiful bird.
After 60 years of coming back to the same spot to breed, Grandma never returned. Grandma’s annual flight captured here by Wild South’s cameras, was her last.