Adult Northern Royal Albatross have a white head, neck, body and tail, sharply contrasting against the black wings. The underwing is white except for a dark trailing edge and a large dark tip. Juvenile Northern Royal Albatrosses have indistinct brown mottling on the crown, and pronounced black mottling on the lower back and rump, and a narrow black terminal band on the tail. The bill is large, with a bulbous tip, pinkish coloured horn and a diagnostic black cutting edge on the upper mandible. In breeding birds, the bill may flush to a brighter pink. The iris is brown, and the feet and legs are pinkish to blueish-white, with blueish webs.
Northern Royal Albatross |
Diomedea sanfordi
Status: Endangered on the EPBC Act list
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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IUCN Red List Assessment, Diomedea sanfordi
Systems Terrestrial; Marine Threats (see Appendix for additional information) Past extreme weather events have had severe impacts on the population.