Albatross Chick Learns How to Hover in Gale-Force Winds

Warning: there’s loud wind noise and viewers should adjust their volume

On a rainy, blustery afternoon in New Zealand, the Royal Cam albatross chick put on an impressive show during flight practice. This chick had never left the nest before and yet showed off its innate flying skills, instinctively knowing how to hover in place for several minutes as the wind streams past—all without taking a single wingbeat. 

Only a few days later, the young bird fledged out into the Pacific and began making its way toward South America, where it will likely spend the next few years foraging before returning to New Zealand. Soon enough, the new breeding season will get underway as adult albatrosses begin returning to the headland.