Albatrosses (Procellariiformes)

Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea epomophora sandfordi) (Toroa-whakaingo)

Albatross are the largest of the world's seabirds with the Royal Albatross and the Wandering Albatross being largest of them all.

They can measure up to 1.1 metres form the tip of their beak to the end of their tail, with a wingspan of up to 3.3 metres.

The Taiaroa colony is the only place in the world where Albatross breed on a mainland. All other breeding colonies are on sub-Antarctic islands with three species of smaller Albatross breeding in the Northern hemisphere.