Description
& Characteristics:
Several
species of petrel in a wide ranging group of families can
be found in the Antarctic. Most petrelsl have a skittering,
skimming-type flight; hence their name, which means 'Little
Peter" for the Apostle who walked on the water with Christ
on the Sea of Galilee. All petrel species have dense plumage,
webbed feet and deeply grooved and hooked bills. Many species
of petrel breed in dense colonies on cliffs and steep rocky
slopes, some of them 60 miles or more from the open sea on
inland nunataks and mountain ranges. Petrels typically have
long nostrils, indicating a strong sense of smell, unusual
for birds. On human-inhabited islands, introduced cats and
rats have severely reduced some populations of diving and
burrowing petrels. Interestingly, most petrel species can
regurgitate their stomach oil as a defense mechanism against
predators.
Giant
Petrels
Largest of the petrel family, Giant petrels, unlike albatrosses,
forage on both land and sea. On land, they kill birds as large
as King penguins
and scavenge in seal colonies. At sea, they eat fish, squid
and crustaceans, scavenging dead whales
and seabirds, as well. Their carrion-feeding reputation earned
them the nickname 'stinkers' from whalers, however, they do
possess a certain charm and they are unquestionably magnificent
fliers.
Antarctic
Petrel
The Antarctic
petrel is a boldly marked dark brown and white petrel, a little
smaller than the Antarctic
fulmar. They are mostly found in the Ross Sea region.
Eggs are laid in November after the adults arrive at their
nest sites the previous month. Chicks fledge in March.The
rest of the year, the colonies are deserted while the birds
stay at sea among and just north of the pack ice. They eat
Antarctic krill, fish, and small squid taken by surface-seizing,
dipping and shallow diving.
Cape
Petrel
The Cape petrel, also known as the 'painted one' because of
the striking pattern on its back and wings is a dark brown-black
and white petrel smaller than the Antarctic Petrel. They breed
on cliff ledges. An commom 'ship-follower,' the Cape petrel
eats just about anything edible thrown overboard. These pigeon
sized birds nest on the sea cliffs and in rock crevices and
can live for 15 to 20 years.
Great-winged
Petrel
The Great-winged petrel is an all dark-brown gadfly petrel
found in the 'Roaring Forties.' They breed in winter and lay
a single egg in May to July in burrows excavated out of vegetated
peat slopes. Chicks fledge in November and December, just
when the summer-breeding burrowing petrels are getting started.
Like most burrowing petrels, Great-wings arrive at their burrows
after dark, to reduce their chances of being caught by predatory
Antarctic skuas.
Great-wings eat primarily squid caught at night.
White-headed
Petrel
The White-headed Petrel is a burrowing petrel with dark wings,
a white head with a dark eye and a pale body and tail. They
breed in summer, laying a single egg in burrows they excavate
in the soft peat of tussock grassland. Their diet includes
crustaceans, squid, and lantern fish, caught by surface-seizing.
White-heads are not rare and their population probably numbers
in the low hundred thousands.
Atlantic
Petrel
The Atlantic petrel is one of the largest gadfly petrels,
recognized by its striking white breast and belly in contrast
to the rest of its plumage which is uniformly brown. Population
is in the low tens of thousands. They breed in burrows in
winter, with chicks being fed in October. They feed mainly
on squid and fish.
Wilson's
Storm Petrel
The tiny Wilson's storm petrel is thought by many to be the
world's most abundant seabird. They are regular ship followers
and are associated with whales.
They lay a single egg in December in burrows and rock crevices
in cliffs, rocky slopes and scree banks. They eat mainly copepods
and krill, as well as small squid and fish.
Other
species of petrel include: Black-bellied petrels, White-bellied
petrels, Grey petrels, Small Grey-backed Storm petrels,
and the White-Chinned petrels, White-Faced Storm petrels,
Blue petrels, Prions, and Kerguelen petrels.
