a rare visitor to tasman sea waters

Size
Length: 85-95 cm, Weight: 2.5-3.5 kg
Lifespan
30-40 years
Diet
Carnivorous - feeds on fish squid and krill. Follows fishing vessels for discards and offal. Dives for prey more frequently than other albatrosses in Southern Ocean.
Habitat
Open subantarctic and Antarctic oceans particularly near the Antarctic Convergence. Breeds on steep coastal cliffs and rocky slopes of remote islands.
Range
Breeds on islands in South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. A rare visitor to New Zealand waters primarily the Tasman Sea and west coast of the South Island.
Endemism
Visitor
Main Threats
Incidental bycatch in longline and trawl fisheries in Southern Ocean. Climate change affecting prey distribution and breeding success. Introduced predators on breeding islands.
Population
Global population estimated at 15000-20000 breeding pairs declining. Classified as Vulnerable by IUCN. In New Zealand a rare visitor to offshore waters.
Conservation Status
data_deficient
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
seabird, do not approach or disturb on nesting grounds
Conservation Note
Rare vagrant albatross; not assessed for conservation status in New Zealand.
Te Ao Māori
Toroa is the general Māori name for albatrosses. The sooty albatross with its dark plumage was sometimes distinguished as toroa rakiura. In Māori tradition albatrosses were chiefly birds their long-ranging flights symbolising journeys between worlds. The dark plumage of this species gave it a particular mana associated with the deep ocean. It was seen as a messenger. A link to the distant. The bird carries weight. Beyond biology. Its appearance was significant. It marked a shift. A change in the weather. A sign from the ancestors.
A dark albatross that looks like it has been dipped in chocolate and left to dry in the sun. The sooty albatross is uniformly dark brown with a pale grey head that fades to white on the throat and a bright yellow line behind the eye. It is slender elegant and fast. It is also one of the rarest albatrosses in New Zealand waters. The bird does not blend in. It stands out against the grey sea. The bill is black with a pale blue line along the lower mandible. The eye is dark ringed in bright yellow. The bird looks like it has seen something surprising. It probably has. It carries an air of mystery. It moves with purpose. It does not drift. It hunts with intent. It feeds on fish squid and krill often near the edge of the pack ice. It follows fishing vessels taking discards and offal. Unlike many albatrosses it dives regularly sometimes reaching depths of ten metres or more. This is unusual for its family. Most prefer surface seizing. The sooty albatross goes deeper. It takes risks. It gets rewards. The flight is faster and more agile than the great albatrosses. The wings are long and narrow swept back like a fighter jet. The bird banks steeply twists through the wind. It is a joy to watch. Few people ever see it. The rarity adds to the appeal. The distance keeps it safe. The ocean is vast. The bird is small. Breeding takes it to remote subantarctic islands in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The nest is a pedestal of mud and vegetation built on a cliff ledge. A single egg. Both parents share incubation. The chick takes five months to fledge. That is a long time. The parents do not leave. They stay. They protect. They feed. The cycle is slow. It is deliberate. It is necessary. The population is declining. Bycatch is the main threat. Longline fisheries catch hundreds each year. The birds cannot breed fast enough to keep up. The numbers drop. The trend is clear. The future is uncertain. Conservation efforts focus on reducing bycatch. Bird-scaring lines help. Weighted lines help. But the problem persists. The ocean is big. The monitoring is hard. In New Zealand sooty albatrosses are rare visitors. They are occasionally seen off the west coast of the South Island in the Tasman Sea. The sighting is a event. It is noted. It is recorded. It is rare. The sooty albatross is closely related to the light-mantled sooty albatross. The sooty is darker all over. The light-mantled has a pale grey back. Distinction is visual. Taxonomy is clear. Confusion is minimal for those who look. The call is a low moaning croak heard only at the colony. On the remote islands the sound carries. Noise travels far in the wind. Silence is relative. The sooty albatross is a ghost of the Southern Ocean a dark shape that appears out of the mist circles once and disappears back into the grey.