Pintado petrel
A common Southern Ocean seabird with pied plumage.
The pintado petrel (Daption capense), also known as the Cape petrel or Cape fulmar, is a common seabird of the Southern Ocean and the only member of the genus Daption. It is allied to the fulmarine petrels and giant petrels, and is an abundant species with an estimated population of around 2 million.
- Scientific name
- Daption capense
- Family
- Procellariidae
- Population estimate
- 2 million (2009)
- Wingspan
- 80–90 cm (31–35 in)
- Length
- 35–40 cm (14–16 in)
- Diet
- 80% crustaceans, also fish and squid
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)
Lore & Background
The pintado petrel was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 under the name Procellaria capensis, based on a description and illustration by George Edwards from 1747. The genus name Daption is an anagram of the Portuguese 'Pintado,' meaning 'painted,' given by navigators for its pied plumage. The specific epithet capense refers to the Cape of Good Hope, where the type specimen was collected. Historically, it was sometimes called 'Cape pigeon' by early sailors.
Reader's Guide
The pintado petrel is a significant species in the Southern Ocean ecosystem, with a diet dominated by crustaceans, especially krill, which it obtains by surface seizing and diving. It is known for following ships and eating edible waste, and is aggressive while feeding, spitting stomach oil at competitors. It breeds colonially on subantarctic and Antarctic islands, laying a single egg in November, incubated for 45 days. The species has a large range of 146,000,000 km² and is rated Least Concern by the IUCN. Its two subspecies, D. c. capense and D. c. australe, differ in size and back coloration, though intermediates occur.
Did You Know?
- The pintado petrel is the only species in the genus Daption.
- It can spray stomach oil from its mouth as a defense against predators.
- Its name 'pintado' is Portuguese for 'painted,' referring to its pied plumage.
- The species breeds on islands such as the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, and the Kerguelen Islands.
More in Birds of subantarctic islands 1-24
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