Northern Royal Albatross

Image © Trevor Hardaker

Diomedea sanfordi

Number Of Mature
Individuals (Regional)

Unknown

Regional
Population Trend

Decreasing

2025
Regional Category

Endangered

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CONTENTS

Overview

Names

IOC English Name:	Northern Royal Albatross
SA & IOC Scientific Name:	Diomedea sanfordi
BirdLife International Taxonomy (scientific name):	Diomedea sanfordi
Order:	PROCELLARIIFORMES
Family:	Diomedeidae
Species name author:	Murphy 1917
Afrikaans:	Swartvlerkkoningalbatros
Sesotho (South Africa):	Masikaledikepe wa kgosi wa Leboya
Sesotho (Lesotho):
Siswati:
Zulu:	unozulane waseNyakatho

Current Assessment Status

2025 Regional Category [Criteria]	EN [Follows Global Status]
2024 Global Category [Criteria]	EN [A4bc; B2ab(iii, v)] (BirdLife International 2018)
Population size (Regional)	Unknown
Population size (Global)	c. 17 000 mature individuals, 25 000 – 26 000 individuals overall (BirdLife International 2018)
Distribution size (EOO) (Regional) km²	Unknown
Distribution size (EOO) (Global) km²	115 000 000
Distribution size (AOO) (Regional) km²	Unknown
Generation time	27 years (Birdlife International 2018)
Status change reason	No Change
Migrant (in the region)	Non-breeding visitor
Regional endemic	No

Historic Listing Information

2000 Regional Status	Not assessed
2015 Regional Status	EN [A4bc; B1a+2ab(iii,v); D]
Status change reason (if applicable)	Improved knowledge
2015 Population size (Regional)	25 000 – 26 000 individuals (global)
2015 Global Status	EN [A4bc; B1a+2ab(iii,v); D]

Reason for Inclusion

Reason for Inclusion in the Assessment

This species is currently listed as globally Endangered and is increasingly being recorded in South African waters – regularly observed off Western Cape, occurring mostly over the continental shelf between the Orange River, Northern Cape to Cape Agulhas, Western Cape (Nicholls et al. 1994, Ryan 2005).

Category Justification

The Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi is listed as globally Endangered. This species occurs as a non-breeding visitor in South African waters and the regional assessment follows the global status.

Population Justification

The most recent global population estimate is 5200 breeding pairs (17 000 mature individuals; BirdLife International 2018) based on a sequence of counts conducted in the 1970s and 1990s. A count in 2002 reported 5800 pairs but the previous estimate is favoured. The population at Taiaroa Head, New Zealand was estimated to be c. 60 breeding pairs in 2010/11 (Richard et al. 2015), which is 25 breeding pairs more than the 35 reflected in the current global assessment from 2018. Additionally, decreased counts of 982 birds on Big and Little Sister islands were recorded in February 2016 (Fretwell et al. 2017) and this is yet to be reflected in the global assessment. The visiting regional population is yet to be estimated, but is assumed to be small.

Trend Justification

The global population trend is said to be decreasing (BirdLife International 2018) based on data from the 1990s, and potential increases have been suggested in published literature – specifically 5200 to 5800 breeding pairs on Chatham Island and c. 35 breeding pairs to c. 60 breeding pairs at Taiaroa Head, New Zealand (Richard et al. 2015). A 68% decrease was reported for Big and Little Sister islands between December 2009 and February 2016 (Fretwell et al. 2017). This declining trend could lead to the uplisting of this species. A regional population trend has not been estimated.

Biology & Ecology

Taxonomy

There has been substantial debate regarding the taxonomy of this species. The species was originally described by Murphy in 1917 but later was considered to be a subspecies of the Southern Royal Albatross Diomedea epomophora (Sibley and Monroe 1990). Robertson and Nunn (1998) restored the Northern Royal Albatross back to D. sanfordi (see also Brooke (2004)) based on several key morphological differences between the two taxa. D. sanfordi is treated as a separate species by the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, as well as BirdLife International, several recent monographs and guides of Southern Ocean seabirds (Brooke 2004, Onley and Scofield 2007, Shirihai and Kirwan 2008). Birdlife South Africa recognises the split, and this assessment accordingly deals with D. sanfordi. This remains unchanged in 2023.

Identification

107–15 cm, 6.5 kg. A large, white-backed albatross. Black upperwing with white head, body, rump and tail. Underwing is white with a narrow black trailing edge, broadening on the tip and extending onto the leading edge of the wing. Eyes dark brown and legs and feet pale pink, washed greyish blue. Juvenile similar to adult except for some black in the outer tail, as well as black mottling on the back and rump. Both adult and juvenile birds have a pink bill with a thin black line along the cutting edge, visible at close range (Ryan 2005).

Distribution

Northern Royal Albatrosses are a breeding endemic to New Zealand with the majority (>99%) of the population breeding on the Chatham Islands. The remaining individuals breed at Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula of New Zealand’s South Island (Croxall and Gales 1998, Robertson and Nunn 1998). Breeding birds can be found foraging close to their breeding sites, over shallow waters of the Chatham Rise out to the shelf edge (1500–2000 m deep; Nicholls et al. 1994, Nicholls et al. 2002).

Birds that have either failed in a breeding attempt or are not breeding, including newly fledged juveniles, travel across the Pacific Ocean to the continental shelf off Chile and the Patagonian Shelf (Nicholls et al. 2002). They are more widespread along the Patagonian Shelf, approximately 200–350 km offshore in water depths of <200 m deep (but can extend to the shelf-break to depths of 1000 m) at 36–49° S (Nicholls et al. 2002). Birds are also found further south, near the Falklands Islands (Islas Malvinas) along the shelf west of the islands (Nicholls et al. 2002). Probably overlooked in the past but now observed regularly off Western Cape, occurring mostly over the continental shelf between the Orange River, Northern Cape to Cape Agulhas, Western Cape (Nicholls et al. 1994, Ryan 2005).

Ecology

A regular ship follower, being more tolerant of dense aggregations of birds behind trawlers than the related Wandering Albatross D. exulans (Ryan 2005). Prey is made up of predominantly squid (80–85% by mass), fish (15%), crustaceans, tunicates and occasionally scavenged penguin carcasses (Cherel and Klages 1998).

Information on identification, distribution, ecology, and global conservation parameters can be found at http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/northern-royal-albatross-diomedea-sanfordi and https://www.acap.aq/resources/acap-species/296-northern-royal-albatross/file.

Threats & Conservation

Threats

Fisheries-related mortality in longline fisheries is the main potential threat to this species in the region. Plastic ingestion in the region is yet to be quantified.

Conservation Measures Underway

The species is listed in the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels – Annex 1, and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals – Appendix II. The Marine Living Resources Act (Act No. 18 of 1998), the Publication of Policy on the Management of Seals, Seabirds and Shorebirds: 2007 and the National Plan of Action (NPOA) for Reducing the Incidental Catch on Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (2008) also protect the species within the region. In addition, there are efforts by NGOs, such as BirdLife South Africa’s Task Force, working on bycatch mitigation with fishermen directly.

Conservation Measures Proposed

Ensure best practise mitigation measures are implemented in all fisheries in which the Northern Royal Albatross interacts. Ensure all pelagic longline effort in South African waters is monitored through independent observer programmes and compliance with measures to prevent incidental mortality, and all mortality events, are recorded. Continue development, testing and implementation of new mitigation measures in the longline fishing industry. The National Plan of Action for Seabirds of South Africa should be updated.

Research Priorities and Questions

Determine at-sea distribution of the visiting population.
Obtain a better understanding of the fishing operations and extent of incidental capture of the species in South African waters.
Conduct training by specialists on the species-level identification of albatrosses to parties involved in monitoring and conservation of seabirds.

Contributors & References

Assessor/s

Shamiso Banda

Reviewer/s

Peter T. Fretwell

References

BirdLife International. 2018. Diomedea sanfordi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22728323A132656392. Available: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22728323A132656392.en. [Accessed on 13 April 2023].

Brooke MD. 2004. Albatrosses and Petrels Across the World (Bird Families of the World). Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Cherel Y, Klages N. 1998. A review of the food of albatrosses. In: Robertson CJR, Gales R (eds). Albatross Biology and Conservation. Chipping Norton, Australia: Surrey Beatty and Sons. pp 113–136.

Croxall JP, Gales R. 1998. An assessment of the conservation status of albatrosses. In: Robertson CJR, Gales R (eds), Albatross Biology and Conservation. Chipping Norton, Australia: Surrey Beatty and Sons. pp 46–65.

Fretwell PT, Scofield P, Phillips RA. 2017. Using super-high resolution satellite imagery to census threatened albatrosses. Ibis 159(3): 481–490.

Nicholls DG, Murray MD, Robertson CJR. 1994. Oceanic flights of the Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea epomophora sanfordi using satellite telemetry. Corella 18: 50–52.

Nicholls DG, Robertson CJR, Prince PA, Murray MD, Walker KJ, Elliott GP. 2002. Foraging niches of three Diomedea albatrosses. Marine Ecology Progress Series 231: 269–277.

Onley D, Scofield P. 2007. Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World. London, United Kingdom: Christopher Helm.

Richard Y, Perriman L, Lalas C, Abraham ER. 2015. Demographic rates of northern royal albatross at Taiaroa Head, New Zealand. PeerJ: e906.

Robertson CJR, Nunn GB. 1998. Towards a new taxonomy for albatrosses. In: Robertson CJR, Gales R (eds). Albatross Biology and Conservation. Chipping Norton, Australia: Surrey Beatty and Sons. pp 13–19.

Ryan PG. 2005. Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi. In: Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ, Ryan PG (eds). Roberts – Birds of Southern Africa, 7^th Edn. Cape Town, South Africa: The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. pp 644–645.

Shirihai H, Kirwan GM. 2008. Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. London, United Kingdom: Christopher Helm.

Sibley C, Monroe B. 1990. Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Citation

Banda S 2025. Northern Royal Albatross. In: Lee ATK, Rose S, Banda S, Bezeng SB, Maphalala MI, Maphisa DH, Smit-Robinson H (eds), The 2025 Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini. Johannesburg, South Africa: BirdLife South Africa. Available at: https://www.birdlife.org.za/red-list/northern-royal-albatross/

Northern Royal Albatross