Pelecanoides urinatrix
The Common Diving Petrel (Pelecanoides urinatrix) is a compact and intriguing seabird, belonging to the ancient order Procellariiformes, which includes albatrosses and shearwaters. Measuring 20-25 cm in length with a wingspan of 33-38 cm and weighing 86-185 grams, it presents a distinctive appearance with glossy black upperparts and pure white underparts, giving it a stark, contrasting look. Its short, stout black bill and blue-gray feet are characteristic, while its short, rounded wings and ...
This pelagic species spends most of its life at sea, but breeds colonially in burrows on offshore islands and coastal cliffs, favoring soft soil or dense tussock grass near cool temperate waters.
Their diet primarily consists of small marine crustaceans (copepods, krill, amphipods), supplemented by small fish and squid, all caught during their specialized underwater 'flight' dives.
Common Diving Petrels are highly gregarious at sea, often forming large feeding flocks, but become strictly nocturnal at their breeding colonies to avoid predation. Their foraging strategy is highly specialized: they dive from the water's surface or directly from flight, using their short, strong...
The Common Diving Petrel has a wide distribution across the cool temperate and sub-Antarctic waters of the Southern Hemisphere. Its primary breeding range includes numerous islands off New Zealand (e.g., North, South, Chatham, Auckland, Antipodes Islands), southeastern Australia (Tasmania, Victor...
Least Concern
- The Common Diving Petrel is one of the few birds that truly 'flies' underwater, propelling itself with its wings rather than its feet, similar to penguins or auks. - It is the smallest of the four species in the genus Pelecanoides, all of which are uniquely adapted diving petrels. - At its bree...