Pterodroma macroptera
The Great-winged Petrel (Pterodroma macroptera), a striking member of the Procellariiformes order and Procellariidae family, is a large, uniformly dark seabird endemic to the Southern Hemisphere. Measuring 40-45 cm in length with an impressive wingspan of 100-115 cm and weighing between 500-700 grams, its appearance is characterized by sooty black plumage, a stout black bill, and dark legs and feet. A subtle field mark, often difficult to observe at sea, is the slightly paler underwing with n...
Predominantly pelagic, inhabiting the open ocean, the Great-winged Petrel only comes ashore to breed on remote, predator-free oceanic islands and coastal headlands, typically at low to moderate elevations.
Their diet primarily consists of cephalopods (squid), supplemented by crustaceans like euphausiids (krill) and small fish, which they snatch from the ocean surface or obtain through shallow dives.
Great-winged Petrels are largely nocturnal at their breeding colonies, arriving and departing under the cover of darkness to avoid aerial predators, while being diurnal foragers at sea. They employ a foraging strategy of surface-seizing and shallow diving to capture prey, often dipping their head...
The Great-winged Petrel has a wide distribution across the Southern Ocean, with distinct breeding populations. The nominate subspecies, *Pterodroma macroptera macroptera*, breeds on islands in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, including Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, Prince Edward, Crozet, K...
Least Concern
- The Great-winged Petrel is capable of immense, sustained oceanic flights, often traveling thousands of kilometers from its breeding colonies to rich foraging grounds. - Like many petrels, it defends itself by ejecting foul-smelling stomach oil, which can deter predators and make victims' feathe...