One of the largest birds in the world is also one of the rarest. The northern royal albatross has a wingspan of three metres. It weighs almost nine kilograms. It flies over the Southern Ocean for years without touching land. Then it returns to New Zealand to breed. It has been doing this for millions of years. The cycle is ancient. It is also fragile. The plumage is white with black upperwings. The bill is pale pink with a black cutting edge. The eye is dark. The bird is magnificent. It is also vulnerable. A few thousand pairs remain. The numbers are not encouraging. It feeds on fish and squid. It takes them from the surface or shallow dives. It follows fishing vessels. It takes discards. It also gets caught on hooks. Bycatch is a major threat. The hooks do not distinguish. They catch what they catch. The flight is effortless. A northern royal albatross in a stiff breeze can cover hundreds of kilometres without flapping. It locks its wings and rides the wind. It sleeps on the wing. It wakes on the wing. The mechanics are efficient. The energy cost is low. Breeding takes it to the Chatham Islands and the Otago Peninsula. The nest is a pedestal of mud and vegetation. It is built on a cliff ledge. A single egg is laid. Both parents share incubation. The chick takes eight months to fledge. That is a long time to sit in a nest. The commitment is total. The colony at Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula is unique. It is the only mainland albatross colony in the world. Visitors can watch the birds from a hide. The birds ignore them. They have chicks to feed. The distraction is minimal. The northern royal albatross was once considered the same species as the southern royal albatross. They are now separate. The northern royal is smaller. It has a blacker upperwing. The birds know the difference. Taxonomy catches up. The population is declining. Bycatch is the main threat. Longline fisheries catch hundreds each year. The birds cannot breed fast enough to keep up. Climate change is also a threat. Warming seas shift prey distribution. The birds have to fly further to find food. They return to their colonies in poorer condition. The toroa is a chiefly bird in Māori tradition. Its feathers were worn by rangatira. Its flight was seen as a journey between worlds. The northern royal albatross is a treasure. It is also a warning. It is running out of time.