The Albatross That Almost Broke the Internet
A Faceplant That Turned an Ordinary Day into a Viral Moment
On a sunny Saturday in Dunedin’s Taiaroa Head Nature Reserve, a livestream camera captured a Royal Albatross attempting its most awkward landing yet. The bird strutted onto the rocks, flailed its legs, and—just in time for a curious chick—to recover and glide to safety. That brief cliffhanger has since roared to life on social media, raking in over 660,000 views.
What’s happening here? You’re probably thinking, “Really? A bird falling onto its face in the wild? It sounds like a blooper reel!” But hey, nature always delivers the unexpected. While the albatross drummed its wings with determination, a tiny chick watched, as if the bird were showing off the best part of a “how‑to.”
- Location: Taiaroa Head, South Island of New Zealand
- Camera: The Royal Albatross Cam, a 24‑hour livestream set up in 2016
- Subject: Royal Albatross (one of the world’s largest seabirds)
- Followers: The video has garnered more than 660,000 views
On Twitter, folks who’ve had their own “faceplant” moments—think skiing mishaps or unexpected falls—started chiming in, tying the story to them in a hilarious way. One tweet quipped, “Flying for the albatross is mostly smooth; the landing part? Less so.” The Royal Cam’s own post echoed with a witty line: “Flying for the albatross is mainly effortless, landing can be a little bit harder.”
These bird‑life videos come from a commercial collaboration involving the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, with the cam’s primary job being to keep an eye on the nest during breeding season.
A quick side note on Royal Albatrosses—they’re known for their massive wingspans and can live into their 40s. Yet, the DOC flags them as “at risk.” So when those birds take to the skies (mostly effortlessly) and occasionally take a tumble, the world gets right to line them up for a chance to do it again.
In the final frames of the clip, the camera’s feed chirped with relief: “Lucky for the somersaulting alby, recovery was quick and only the chick was watching!!” Who knew a bird’s brief blunder could become a heart‑warming, laugh‑inducing story? That’s the magic of wildlife livestreams—turning the ordinary into an unforgettable, shared experience.
