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Buller's albatross
Breeding pairs remaining in the world: 32,000
Where do they breed?: Islands off New Zealand
Wingspan: 200-213 cm
Length (beak to tail): 76-81 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years
Diet: It feeds mostly on fish, squid and tunicates (barrel-like filter feeders), but also octopuses, shrimps and lobsters
Scientific name:Thalassarche bulleri
Threat level: Near Threatened
Why they need your help
Although restricted to a small breeding area, the population of Buller's albatross is currently thought of as stable.
However, they are still threatened by longline fishing. Adult Buller's albatrosses are one of the more common bycatch species from longline tuna fisheries in New Zealand waters, and they are also recorded as bycatch in fisheries off the west coast of South America.
Buller's albatrosses are also caught in low numbers by squid trawlers, despite the banning of net cables in 1992.
A severe storm in 1985 almost completely removed soil and vegetation from two of their breeding islands. Although numbers remained largely unaffected by this storm, any further habitat loss could result in population decreases.
Introduced wekas, or woodhens, are members of the rail family and may take eggs and chicks from nesting pairs on Big Solander Island. How big an impact this is having on numbers is not yet known.