Pterodroma brevipes
The Collared Petrel, *Pterodroma brevipes*, is a small to medium-sized gadfly petrel, typically measuring around 30 cm in length with a wingspan of 70-80 cm. Its appearance is characterized by dark grey upperparts, pure white underparts, and a distinctive dark 'M' pattern across its upperwings. Key identification marks include a dark cap that extends below the eye and a short, stout black bill. A faint, mottled grey band across the hindneck often gives it its 'collared' name, though this can ...
This species is strictly pelagic, spending nearly its entire life over the open ocean, coming ashore only to breed on remote, often forested, high volcanic islands.
The diet primarily consists of small cephalopods (squid), various crustaceans, and small fish, predominantly caught by surface-seizing or shallow diving techniques.
Highly pelagic and elusive at sea, Collared Petrels are strictly nocturnal at their breeding colonies to minimize predation risk from aerial hunters. Foraging primarily involves surface-seizing or shallow plunge-diving, expertly snatching small prey from the water's surface. During the breeding s...
The Collared Petrel's confirmed breeding range is restricted to a few remote, forested islands within the tropical South Pacific. Key breeding sites include Kadavu and Gau Islands in Fiji, along with locations in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. This species is highly pelagic, dispersing widely across ...
Near Threatened
- The Collared Petrel is often confused with several other gadfly petrel species due to similar size and plumage, making identification at sea a significant challenge even for expert birders. - Despite spending its life at sea, it possesses an incredibly strong sense of smell, vital for navigatin...