Aphrodroma brevirostris
The Kerguelen Petrel (*Aphrodroma brevirostris*) is a medium-sized, enigmatic seabird of the southern oceans, belonging to the family Procellariidae. Measuring approximately 33-36 cm in length with a wingspan of 78-82 cm and weighing 300-400 grams, it presents a uniformly sooty-grey plumage, often appearing darker on the head and wings, with a pale base to the primary feathers visible in flight. Its most distinctive field marks include its stocky, rather bulky body, a short, stout black bill,...
Exclusively pelagic during the non-breeding season, frequenting cold, nutrient-rich waters of the subantarctic and Antarctic convergence zones. During breeding, it inhabits remote subantarctic islands, nesting in burrows on vegetated slopes, often among tussock grass.
Primarily feeds on cephalopods (squid), crustaceans, and small fish, which it obtains by surface-seizing, surface-diving, or shallow plunge-diving in oceanic waters.
Kerguelen Petrels exhibit a fascinating dichotomy in their daily activity: they are strictly nocturnal at their breeding colonies to minimize predation risk from skuas and gulls, but diurnal while foraging at sea. Courtship involves aerial displays above the colony at night, followed by mutual pr...
The Kerguelen Petrel breeds exclusively on remote subantarctic islands, with the largest colonies found on the Kerguelen Islands, Crozet Islands, Prince Edward Islands, Marion Island, and Gough Island in the southern Indian and Atlantic Oceans. After breeding, it disperses widely across the vast ...
Least Concern
- The Kerguelen Petrel is named after the remote Kerguelen Islands, one of its primary breeding grounds in the southern Indian Ocean. - It is one of the most enigmatic petrels, spending almost its entire life far out at sea, making it challenging to study. - Unlike many seabirds, it is strictly n...