The Southern Royal Albatross is among the largest flying birds on Earth, rivalled only by its close relative the Wandering Albatross. With a wingspan that can approach 3.5 metres, it rides the wind belts of the Southern Ocean for years at a time, coming ashore only to breed. A mature bird weighs around 8.5 kilograms yet spends most of its life gliding effortlessly, using dynamic soaring to cover vast distances with barely a wingbeat.
These albatrosses are long-lived and slow to mature, often not breeding until they are eight to ten years old and forming lasting pair bonds renewed with elaborate courtship displays. Because a successful pair breeds only once every two years, the species reproduces slowly, which makes it vulnerable to losses at sea. The overwhelming majority of the world population nests on Campbell Island, so the species is closely tied to the fate of that one remote subantarctic outpost.
A huge white albatross with black upperwings, the Southern Royal Albatross is distinguished by its clean white body and the black leading edge of the upperwing that whitens with age. At close range the pink-and-cream bill shows a distinctive dark cutting edge along the upper mandible, a useful feature separating it from the similar Wandering Albatross.
| Size | Very large, 112 to 123 cm long with a wingspan up to 3.5 m |
| Plumage | Mostly white body and head; upperwings black, becoming whiter toward the leading edge with age |
| Bill | Pinkish to cream, large and hooked, with a black line along the cutting edge of the upper mandible |
| Sexes | Alike in colour; males average slightly larger |
| In flight | Long, narrow wings held stiffly; glides for long stretches without flapping |
| Weight | Around 8.5 kg on average |
Largely silent at sea, the Southern Royal Albatross becomes vocal at breeding colonies. Displaying birds give braying and croaking calls, bill-clacking and loud trumpeting notes as part of their courtship rituals, often combined with wing-stretching, sky-pointing and head-shaking displays performed between pairs and by younger birds practising for future seasons.
The species breeds almost entirely on Campbell Island, with a small number of pairs on the Auckland Islands, all in the New Zealand subantarctic. Outside the breeding season it ranges widely across the Southern Ocean, and many birds circle the globe on the westerly wind belts, regularly reaching the seas off southern South America. It favours open ocean and productive shelf edges where it can find prey.
Southern Royal Albatrosses feed mainly on cephalopods such as squid, along with fish, salps and crustaceans, and they will readily scavenge carrion and offal at the sea surface. They take most food by seizing it from the surface rather than diving deeply, and they habitually follow fishing vessels, a behaviour that brings them into contact with longline gear.
Pairs nest in loose colonies on open tussock ground, building a raised mound of soil, grass and vegetation. The female lays a single large white egg, which both parents incubate over roughly 11 weeks. The chick is brooded and guarded early on, then left alone while both adults forage, returning to feed it. Chicks take many months to fledge, and because the whole cycle spans more than a year, successful pairs breed only every second year.
- Wandering Albatross: Very similar giant albatross; adults become whiter overall and lack the black bill cutting edge
- Northern Royal Albatross: Closely related and similar in size but retains all-dark upperwings as an adult
- Black-browed Albatross: Much smaller mollymawk with a dark eyebrow and dark underwing margins
How big is a Southern Royal Albatross?
It is one of the largest flying birds in the world, measuring 112 to 123 cm long with a wingspan that ranges from about 2.9 metres up to 3.5 metres.
Where do Southern Royal Albatrosses breed?
Almost the entire population breeds on Campbell Island in the New Zealand subantarctic, with a few pairs on the nearby Auckland Islands.
How often do they breed?
A successful pair breeds only once every two years because raising a single chick to fledging takes more than a year.
Why is the species considered Vulnerable?
Its slow reproduction, reliance on a single main breeding island and the risk of being caught on longline fishing gear all leave it exposed to decline.