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3

Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea sanfordi) Alternate name(s): "toroa" Size: 1.1-1.2 m; wing span 2.7-3.05 m Weight: 6.2-8.2 kg

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Northern Royal Albatrosses are very big seabirds with a black-and-white plumage. Adult birds have a narrow black fringe around the underwings, extending from the alula outwards and all around the trailing edge of the wing. The upperwings are entirely black. Otherwise the body, from head to tail, both front and back, is white. The bill is flesh-pink with a yellowish tip, the irises are black. Legs and feet are pinkish-grey. Juvenile birds are similar to adults, but with dark markings on back and rump and on the tips of the tail feathers.

Taxonomy, classification See Northern Royal Albatross at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Northern Royal Albatross is available HERE . At sea the range of Wandering Albatrosses is circumpolar, from -30 to -45 degrees geographic latitude. Their breeding colonies are in New Zealand. Apart from Tairaroa Head, on South Island, they are also found on the Chatham islands. In Australia they reach coastal waters off the Australian continent anywhere along the southern half of the continent, from South of Sydney on the NSW coast to the south-western tip of WA. They are mostly present in waters to the East of Tasmania. Northern Royal Albatrosses are pelagic birds that spend most of their time out on the open ocean and in coastal waters. They breed on offshore islands.

Sightings Click here for sighting information M. Eaton reports finding Northern Royal Albatrosses on a pelagic off Eaglehawk Neck, near Hobart, TAS, in September 2021. All sighting and photographic information presented on this page has been kindly contributed by M. Eaton.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-lateral view of a Northern Royal Albatross (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Eaglehawk Neck, near Hobart, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a Northern Royal Albatross (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Eaglehawk Neck, near Hobart, TAS, September 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Northern Royal Albatross (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Eaglehawk Neck, near Hobart, TAS, September 2021]

Near-dorsal comparison between a Northern Royal Albatross, right, and a Southern Royal Albatross
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Eaglehawk Neck, near Hobart, TAS, September 2021]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-dorsal view of a banking Northern Royal Albatross; the dark markings on back and rump indicate that this is a juvenile (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Eaglehawk Neck, near Hobart, TAS, September 2021]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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