Adult has a dirty pale yellowish bill with duskier sides and a black spot near tip.
Vulnerable
At a glance
FamilyAlbatrosses
SizeGiant
RarityUncommon
HabitatPelagic; mostly over open ocean, coming near land around breeding islands and sometimes seen from headlands or boats.
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from June.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Cristian Pinto
Range map
Range map
40visible hotspots
255visible records
2states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
The bill on immatures is dark, dusky grayish with a black tip; mostly like adult in 3 years. Compare with the smaller Buller’s Albatross and rare Chatham Albatross.
Behavior
All ages have gray hood, narrow black leading edge on the underwing (wider and messier on immature).
Gallery
Regional timing
Victoria
Queensland
Tasmania
South Australia
New South Wales
Commonly confused with
Northern Royal AlbatrossDiomedea sanfordiEasily separated at a distance from smaller albatrosses by white back. From the Wandering Albatross complex (including Snowy, Tristan, Antipodean, and Amsterdam Albatrosses) by uniformly dark upperwings at all ages with otherwise clean white appearance (including mostly white tail, occasionally with small black markings). This combination of features is never shown by Wandering-types, and Northern Royal never has dirty brownish markings on head and body or a mostly black tail. At close range, note the diagnostic narrow black “lips” on cutting edge of bill, lacking on Wandering-types. Also note slightly longer, thinner bill and shallower forehead, which give Northern Royal a “snoutier” look than Wandering-types. Very similar to Southern Royal Albatross; best separated by uniformly dark upperwings, especially on the leading edge. Youngest Southern Royals can also have dark upperwings with very narrow white leading edge; can require close scrutiny or good photographs to identify with confidence. Range averages further north than Southern Royal, but some overlap.→Southern Royal AlbatrossDiomedea epomophoraYounger Southern Royals are more easily separated from Wandering-types by mostly dark upperwings, gradually attaining a finely snow-dusted appearance on the leading edge with age. Older birds can show extensively white upperwings, but markings are always finer than on Wandering-types, with less extensive white in the center of the wing. Southern Royals usually have all-white tails, sometimes with small dark markings; any bird with a largely dark tail can be identified as a Wandering-type. Southern Royal never has dirty brownish markings on head and body like many Wandering-types. Also note slightly longer, thinner bill and shallower forehead, which give Southern Royal a “snoutier” look than Wandering-types. From Northern Royal Albatross by white markings on the upperwing, especially on the leading edge. Youngest Southern Royals can have very narrow white leading edge; can require close scrutiny or good photographs to identify with confidence. Range averages further south than Northern Royal, but some overlap.→Gray-headed AlbatrossThalassarche chrysostomaAdult has a gray head, thick black underwing margins like much commoner Black-browed Albatross. Immatures look similar to Black-browed overall, but told by black bill that soon develops yellow along top, and often with variable gray hood. Yellow bill edges narrower than the more lightly built Buller’s Albatross, which occurs to the north but is often mistaken for Gray-headed.→