The 6th CahowCam Season was officially started when our star Cahow laid her egg at 4:27 am LIVE on camera from Nonsuch Island.
J-P Rouja | Nonsuch Expeditions Team Leader:
"Our CahowCam broadcasting LIVE from the underground nesting burrow on Nonsuch Island was being monitored in anticipation of her return (which Jeremy had predicted to be that night) however the Bermuda Team had just signed off for the night when she burst in at 3am. The Cornell Team currently in Hawaii installing an AlbatrossCam were still watching along with many of our regular followers so promptly tweeted and alerted us of the event.
UPDATE | The male returned at 10pm on the 13th to take over incubation duties so that the female could head back out to sea for a few weeks to feed and re-energize.
Last Season through our Cornell partnership we reached 600,000 viewers who consumed 8.5 million minutes of video over the 5 month nesting season including thousands of people watching when the egg hatched in March. As we expand the project including new ways for our viewers and students to engage we expect to greatly exceed those numbers this Season."
To watch the LiveStream please visit Nonsuchisland.com
If you would like to be notified of this and other significant Cahow milestones sign up for our Newsletter and select the CahowCam alert option. If you are already a subscriber open a recent Newsletter and adjust your preferences to select the CahowCam alert option.
Jeremy Maderios | Chief Terrestrial Conservation Officer:
“Last year, the male returned by Jan. 15th, and took over incubation for the next 2 1/2 weeks while the female returned back out to sea to feed and regain her strength. The pair then alternated incubation duties until the egg hatched on March 2nd, 51 days after being laid.
After a record-breaking nesting season last year with 61 chicks fledging out to sea, we seem to be on track for breaking even more records this year. As of January 12th, the Senior Conservation Officer had confirmed that about two thirds of the breeding pairs on the nesting islands had so far returned and were incubating eggs, including 11 breeding pairs on Nonsuch Island. The remainder should hopefully return over the next 2 weeks. The majority of incubating adult Cahows he examined were heavier than normal, with some male birds approaching 500 grams in weight. This indicates that the birds had found good feeding conditions north of the Gulf Stream over the last month.”