Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01285:reg:13:p69
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01285
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 13 (pt 69/98)
Character Range: 420079–423631

black trailing edge to underwing and black wingtips (Onley & Scofield 2007, BirdLife International 2018f).

Life history

Breeding locality                                                                 Jurisdiction

Auckland Islands, Chatham Islands, South Island of New Zealand (at Taiaroa Head)  New Zealand

Endemic to New Zealand with five breeding sites on the sub-Antarctic Chatham Islands and Auckland Islands, and at Taiaroa Head on the South Island of New Zealand (ACAP 2012t). The Northern Royal Albatross is a biennial breeder, when successful. Adults begin arriving at colonies from August to mid-November. Females lay a single egg in late October to early November that hatches after an incubation period of over 11 weeks in late January to early February, with the chicks mostly fledging in September/October after spending at least eight months in the nest (Tickell 2000). The Northern Royal Albatross has a circumpolar distribution in the higher latitudes of the southern hemisphere (generally 36-52°S) (BirdLife International 2004, 2018f). Mean annual breeding success at Taiaroa Head was estimated as 31% (Westerskov 1963 in Marchant & Higgins 1990). Juveniles return to breeding colonies when at least three years of age, with individuals usually beginning breeding when eight years of age (Robertson 1993, 1998). Generation length is estimated at 26.0 years (Bird et al. 2020).

Species distribution in Australia

Australia is within the foraging range of the Northern Royal Albatross (Figure 11). Tracking studies indicate that during the breeding season the birds mostly forage in New Zealand waters, but dispersal is circumpolar during non-breeding periods, including southern and sub-Antarctic Australia, and AAT (BirdLife International 2004, ACAP 2012o).

Population estimates and trends

The global population is projected to be decreasing over three generations with uncertainty about the extent of the projected decline (BirdLife International 2018f). There were an estimated 4080 breeding pairs in 2018 (ACAP 2022).

Habitat critical to survival of species

Species is limited to five breeding sites in New Zealand, on the Auckland Islands, Chatham Islands, Campbell Island, and Taiaroa Head on the South Island of New Zealand in the south-western Pacific Ocean, with the global population predominantly found on the Chatham Islands (ACAP 2012o).

Threats

The risk matrix for the Northern Royal Albatross is provided at Table 29, with the threats occurring in Australia's jurisdiction highlighted.
Table 29: Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea sanfordi) risk matrix.
Likelihood of occurrence  Consequences

Not significant           Minor         Moderate                                                                                                                                    Major                                                               Catastrophic

Almost certain                          Climate variability and change: habitat damage from severe storms, heat stress and degradation of nesting habitat from higher temperatures  Fisheries interactions: pelagic longline, demersal longline, trawl

                                        Marine pollution: heavy metal contamination

                                        Marine pollution: marine plastics ingestion

Likely

Possible                                Introduced pest species: predation by brown rats, stoats

Unlikely

Rare or Unknown

Note: Threats occurring in Australia's jurisdiction are highlighted in bold.
Figure 11: Modelled