Salvin’s albatross has a light grey to brown head with a white cap. The body is mostly white with mostly dark upper wings and white under wings with a narrow outline of black. It is a medium-sized albatross and can have a wingspan up to 2.5 metres.

Salvin’s albatross is distributed widely over the Southern Ocean. They are mostly found in the South Pacific and Indian oceans. Breeding takes place annually, beginning in October, on the Bounty and Snares Islands in New Zealand and the Crozet Islands in the Indian Ocean.

Salvin’s albatross are considered ‘Nationally vulnerable’ by the Department of Conservation and ‘Vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It has been estimated that there are around 32,000 breeding pairs.

Salvin’s albatross feeds mainly on cephalopods and fish.

Moderate numbers of Salvin’s albatross have been reported caught in both longline and trawl fisheries in New Zealand. They are commonly seen around fishing vessels, and may be at risk of longline fisheries in high seas fisheries.

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

New Zealand Threat Classification System list