Rare footage of a cahow chick taking its first flight out to sea has been captured by a new camera set up at a wildlife sanctuary.

The camera was installed on Nonsuch Island in Castle Harbour by Nonsuch Expeditions and the New York-based Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

The bird, named Cedar, fledged at 1.32am yesterday.

She is the fifth chick to fledge this season and the colony is on target for a record 73 chicks this year.

Jeremy Madeiros, senior terrestrial conservation officer at the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources, said: “We are relieved to be able to see her fledge, which is a satisfying conclusion to the seven-month process which started when her parents returned to Nonsuch to nest build and court last November.”

But he added: “Our work is not over, as there are at least two chicks that needed to be rescued due to insufficient feeding by their parents.”

Walter Roban, the home affairs minister, said: “Our Bermuda environment is very important to me and the preservation and protection of our island and its indigenous species remains a top priority for the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“We should be very proud of the efforts that have brought our cahows back from near extinction and the efforts to share this project with the world.”

• To watch the chick fledge, visit youtube.com/watch?v=BbQlaaN5Kac