Story: Seabirds – overview

Southern royal albatrosses

Southern royal albatrosses

Like most seabirds, male and female royal albatrosses take turns incubating their egg and foraging for food. If the egg is left uncovered for a moment, skuas are likely to make a meal of it. In this photograph, the female (left) has just resumed incubation duties after a period at sea, while the male looks towards the ridge from where he, in turn, will take off for a foraging trip of five to fifteen days. This species travels up to 1,300 kilometres from the nest in search of food.

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Private collection
Photograph by Christina Troup

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How to cite this page:

Kerry-Jayne Wilson, 'Seabirds – overview - Foraging and migration', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/5482/southern-royal-albatrosses (accessed 19 April 2024)

Story by Kerry-Jayne Wilson, published 12 Jun 2006, reviewed & revised 17 Feb 2015