Photo: Northern Royal Albatross Taiaroa Head Colony Otago South Island New Zealand

A Northern Royal Albatross, proper name Diomedea epomophora sanfordi, part of the Taiaroa Head Colony, flies high in the sky over the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin in Otago on the East Coast of the South Island in New Zealand.

A Northern Royal Albatross, Diomedea epomophora sanfordi, soars above the Otago Peninsual near Dunedin in New Zealand. This is a large seabird as can be seen in the impressive wing span.

These birds are usually about 115 cm in length, weighs between 6.2 and 8.2 kilograms, and has a wing span of 270 to 305 cm. They feed mostly on fish and squid, which actually make up the majority of their diet. They tend to stay close to the shores of New Zealand and they nest on a few islands but when they are not nesting they are flying around the ocean mostly in search of food.

These birds are listed as an endangered species and the last estimate that was done in 1991 suggested that there were only 17,000 of these birds left. These birds are threatened by fishing, loss of habitat due to storm damage and the introduction of new predators stealing their eggs and eating their young.

Bird ringing or bird banding has been introduced to help keep track of these birds with a tagging method so that scientists can discover what exactly is happening to them. They are a magnificent bird that many people come to watch every year as they nest, but they need some help to survive in their current habitat and climate.

Northern Royal Albatross, Diomedea epomophora sanfordi, from the Taiaroa Head Colony on the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin, Otago, South Island, East Coast, New Zealand.