Buller’s albatross has a grey head and neck with a white crown. The body is white, with a dark upper tail. Upper wing is dark, and the under wing is white with a black margin. Wingspan can reach up to 2.13 metres.

Buller’s albatross range throughout the Tasman Sea, the Pacific Ocean, mostly at latitudes higher than 30° S. Breeding takes place annually only in New Zealand on the Snares, Solander, Chatham, and Three Kings Islands.

Buller’s albatross are considered XX by the Department of Conservation and ‘Near Threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.



Buller’s albatross are surface feeders, and mostly feeds on fish, squid, other cephalopods, and crustaceans. They can dive up to one metre depths in pursuit of prey.

Longline fishing is an important threat to Buller’s albatross, as it is a frequent scavenger around fishing vessels. Mitigation measures are in place in New Zealand EEZ that have reduced captures of Buller’s albatross, but there are no such measures in place in international fisheries, and large numbers of immature birds have been reported caught on southern bluefin tuna longlines.

International Union for Conservation of nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red list

New Zealand Threat Classification System list