All About the New Zealand “Reality Show” Starring Albatross Soulmates.

You probably don’t need us to remind you that there’s been a lot going on in the world. So for an antidote to the heaviness, we present a cozy “reality show” revolving around a couple awaiting their new addition. Although this show, the Royal Cam, sounds quite conventional on paper, the stars are less so: They are northern royal albatrosses, a graceful New Zealand seabird with a wingspan of over 10 feet.
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“You see the birds and all their adventures and their lives, struggling to raise their chicks,” France Pillière, a daily viewer based in Montreal, told the Associated Press. Originally established to raise awareness of the vulnerable species, the 24-hour livestream from New Zealand’s Department of Conservation follows the breeding season at Taiaroa Head, the Southern Hemisphere’s only mainland colony of albatrosses — birds that usually mate for life and live to be around 40.
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Viewers get to see everything from mating dances to couple reunions, as the selected birds go through their childrearing journey, from laying an egg to letting the chick spread its wings and take flight. This year, the chosen “royal family” consists of RLK, a 12-year-old male, and GLG, a 14-year-old female. The couple has previously raised two chicks.
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Now in its 10th season, the Royal Cam (which you can stream here) has fostered a community of bird watchers from around the globe. Pillière said the livestream is “a real soothing place,” adding: “The only thing you see is positive. The chatters will often say it’s their best place to be.”