Southern Royal Albatross 'gaming'

[Ian Wilson]

Southern Royal Albatross have a pelagic circumpolar distribution, most common in New Zealand and South American waters. They are huge birds standing about 1 m tall and with a wingspan up to 3.5 m. Breeding colonies are spread over a large area with nests every 20-50 m. Birds first return to colonies as pre-breeders aged 4-8 years where they find a mate, form a monogamous bond, and usually breed the following year. Pre-breeders fly into the colony in the late afternoon and form groups of up to a dozen birds who advertise for a partner using a complex repertoire of signals and displays known as 'gaming'. Gaming includes aerial displays with birds continually landing, taking off and calling down to birds on the ground; return sky-calling by birds on the ground; bill yapping; bill clapping; head shakes and wing stretches. While gaming, the birds make loud whining calls and croaks that can be heard at a great distance. When an unattached female comes in to land there is a great deal of noise and respectful manoeuvering by the males to make a favourable impression. In the picture, two birds are bill clapping and one is making a sky-call. While photographing these birds, I had the experience of birds gliding in to land just over my head and could hear and feel the down-draught of air from their wings, a surreal and unforgettable sensation. The shot was taken in the late afternoon on Campbell Is, NZ sub-Antarctic, 8 January 2014.
Canon 5DIII + 300 mm f/2.8L II + 2x III, Gitzo 3532LS, Kirkphoto King Cobra gimbal.
Av priority, f/8, 1/500 sec, ISO 400, +2/3 EV.
Post processing DPP: crop, adjust brightness, shadows and highlights, USM, RAW-tiff. PS Elements: tiff-output jpeg, USM.

[gail bisson]

Thank you so much for the "mini" ornithology lecture. I love learning details like you have included.
Great shot. Excellent DOF and wonderful behavior captured.
I really like the low POV and love the little brown cattail like grasses in the RLC.
No nits from me,
Gail

[Marina Scarr]

The lesson on this species and the behavior exhibited here is much appreciated. It's makes us appreciate the image all that much more. It's nice to see all 3 birds sharp. You didn't overdo any of the colors in your BG which even I may have been tempted to do and this lends itself to such a real scene...almost as though you brought is into the experience with you. Thanks for sharing your image and knowledge.

[Ian Wilson]

Thanks Marina and Gail for your positive feedback - much appreciated. It was a great privilege to be amongst these wonderful birds. They have an amazingly complex set of greeting, bonding and mating behaviours that few people are able to see. I hope my photographs have done them justice.
Regards, Ian