Northern Royal Albatross

Diomedea sanfordiMurphy, 1917

Also known asToroa

EndangeredNative

Order: PROCELLARIIFORMES
Family: Diomedeidae
Genus: Diomedea

Conservation: Endangered
Commonness: Rare
Best seen: Year-round

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The northern royal albatross or toroa, is a large seabird in the albatross family. It was split from the closely related southern royal albatross as recently as 1998, though not all scientists support that conclusion and some consider both of them to be subspecies of the royal albatross.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length: 107–122 cm
Weight: 6530–8800 g
Wingspan: 270 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

Field tips

behaviour

In social groups, birds often engage in 'gamming' on the water, characterized by ritualized bill-clapping, neck-stretching, and spreading wings to full span.

flight

When flying overhead, look for a mostly white underwing with a distinct dark band trailing just behind the leading edge from the wrist to the wingtip.

plumage

Adults possess solid blackish-brown upperwings that contrast sharply with the pure white back, unlike other large albatrosses that show increasing white on the wing as they age.
Look for a distinctive thin black line along the cutting edge of the upper mandible, which stands out against the rest of the pale pink bill.
Juveniles can be identified by dark black-brown speckling across the crown and lower back, paired with a distinct dark tip on their white tail.

02 · Where

Where to find it

Breeding range: Otago Pen. (south-east South I.) and Sisters and Forty Fours (Chatham Is., east of South I.; New Zealand)
Non-breeding range: Widespread all south temperate and subantarctic oceans, mostly Pacific

03 · When

When to look

Months this species is recorded across its Australian range.

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

3 photos

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How to tell it apart

Where to find it

When to look

Habits and haunts

Diet & foraging

Habitats

Range notes

Plumage up close

Log your next Northern Royal Albatross in the field