Great-winged petrel
A dark-plumaged Southern Ocean petrel that feeds at night.
The great-winged petrel (Pterodroma macroptera) is a large seabird found across the Southern Ocean. It was once considered to include two subspecies, but the New Zealand form, the grey-faced petrel, is now recognized as a separate species following research published in 2014 and further supported in 2016.
This bird measures 42–45 cm in length. Its plumage is entirely dark brown except for a variable white patch near the base of its black bill. It can be distinguished from sooty and short-tailed shearwaters by its all-dark underwing, thick stubby bill, and different flight style. The flesh-footed shearwater has a pale pinkish bill, while petrels in the genus *Procellaria* are larger and fly with less of a bounding motion.
The species breeds between 30 and 50 degrees south, with colonies on Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, the Crozet Islands, the Prince Edward Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, and the southern Australian coast. It is a rare vagrant to the Pacific Ocean off California.
Great-winged petrels feed mainly on squid, with smaller amounts of fish and crustaceans. They typically catch prey at night by dipping and surface-seizing, and may follow whales or associate with other bird species while feeding. Breeding begins in April, during the southern winter. Nests are solitary or in small colonies, placed in burrows or aboveground among boulders or low vegetation.
- Scientific name
- Pterodroma macroptera
- Body length
- 42–45 cm
- Breeding range
- Southern Hemisphere between 30 and 50 degrees south
- Primary diet
- Squid, fish, crustaceans
- Breeding season
- Southern winter, beginning in April
- Former subspecies
- P. m. gouldi (now grey-faced petrel, Pterodroma gouldi)
Lore & Background
The great-winged petrel was formerly treated as containing two subspecies: P. m. macroptera and P. m. gouldi, the latter endemic to New Zealand. As of 2014, the grey-faced petrel (Pterodroma gouldi) is recognized as a separate species, with further research in 2016 supporting that status. The species is completely dark brown except for a variable white patch near the base of its black bill.
Reader's Guide
The great-winged petrel is a significant species in the Southern Ocean ecosystem, feeding mostly on squid and to a lesser degree on fish and crustaceans. It catches prey at night by dipping and surface-seizing, and occasionally follows whales or associates with other bird species to feed. Breeding occurs in the southern winter, with nests solitary or in small colonies in burrows or among boulders and low vegetation. Its distribution includes colonies on Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, the Crozet Islands, the Prince Edward Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, and southern Australia, with rare vagrancy to the Pacific off California. The taxonomic split of the grey-faced petrel highlights ongoing refinement in seabird classification.
Did You Know?
- The great-winged petrel is completely dark brown except for a variable white patch near the base of its black bill.
- It feeds mostly on squid, catching prey at night by dipping and surface-seizing.
- It breeds in the southern winter, beginning in April, in burrows or aboveground among boulders or low vegetation.
- As of 2014, the former subspecies P. m. gouldi is recognized as a separate species, the grey-faced petrel.
More in Birds of subantarctic islands 1-24
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