The
northern royal albatross (
Diomedea sanfordi) is a large
seabird in the
albatross family, Diomedeidae. It nests only on the
Chatham Islands, on
Enderby Island, and at
Taiaroa Head on the
Otago Peninsula of New Zealand. It spends the rest of the year away from land, in circumpolar flights over the Southern Ocean, feeding on
squid, fish,
crustaceans,
salps and carrion. The species is listed on the
IUCN Red List as endangered, but predators have been eliminated from the islands where it breeds, and conservation efforts have proved successful at the Taiaroa Head colony. This northern royal albatross was photographed off the southeastern coast of
Tasmania, Australia.
Photograph credit: John Harrison