Argentina (NB) (P), Australia (NB) (P), Brazil (NB) (P), Chile (NB) (P), Falkland Islands (Malvinas) (NB) (P), French Southern Territories (NB) (P), Heard Island and McDonald Islands (NB) (P), New Zealand, South Africa (NB) (P), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (NB) (P), St Helena (NB), Uruguay (NB).
Vagrant to Antarctica (NB) (P), New Caledonia.
Unknown to Bouvet Island.
Population
Estimated population is 27200 (2012) and stable.
Southern Royal Albatross (Diomedea epomophora) [XC343601]
by Frank Lambert from Stewart Island, Southland, New Zealand (call)
Southern Royal Albatross (Diomedea epomophora) [XC34746]
by Frank Lambert from Campbell Island, New Zealand (call, calls by pair at nest)
Nest
A truncated cone, composed of earth and grass cemented with guano, on the ground. In colonies.
Eggs (Guide)
1; white, often with pink-brown blotches, ellipsoidal; about 124 x 79 mm. Incubation: about 79 days; by both sexes.
Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in 235 - 245 days.
Subspecies
Diomedea epomophora (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Royal Albatross (Diomedea epomophora) and Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea sanfordi) following Robertson and Nunn (1998) and Brooke (2004).
Some consider Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea sanfordi) which is smaller and darker winged and Royal Albatross (Diomedea epomophora) which is larger and white winged subspecies rather than full species.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
epomophora Lesson, 1825 - Campbell I and Auckland Is.
sanfordi Lesson, 1825 - New Zealand and Chatham Is. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea sanfordi).
Similar Species
Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans), which does not have dark cutting edges to both mandibles.
References
See References.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet