From Opus

Alternative name(s): Giant Petrel, Southern Giant Petrel

Adult
Photo by derekh42

Macronectes giganteus

[edit] Identification

90 cm
Has a massive pale yellowish tubenose bill with green tints, especially at the tip. Dark birds differ from Hall's Giant Petrel by having a paler head and always having a pale leading edge to the "arm".

Young birds are uniformly dark, but become paler with age.

Immature
Photo by Gary Clark
At sea off the coast of Chile, December 2008

There is a white morph, referred to as the White Nellie.

[edit] Distribution

Southern oceans, including Pacific and Atlantic sides of South America, and around peninsula of Antarctica.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Open ocean and coastal shorelines.

[edit] Behaviour

White Nellie Phase
Photo by charelli
Hannah Point, Antarctica, February 2004

Follows ships in hopes of snaring garbage thrown overboard.

[edit] Diet

Includes carrion, particularly that of seals and penguins, on land, whilst at sea they feed on krill, squid and fish.

[edit] Breeding

It builds a rough nest off the ground and 1 egg is laid, and then incubated for about 60 days. The chick is brooded for 3 weeks. Chicks fledge after about 4 months.

White Nellie Phase Photo by Gary Clark Palmer Station, Antarctica

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. De la Peña & Rumboll, 1998. Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-09035-1

[edit] External Links