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Southern Giant Petrel
Macronectes giganteus
-55.8457, -57.4789
Field Notes
Description:
A large albatross-sized petrel that is very common in the Southern Ocean. Has quite a humpbacked appearance, and looks rather angry. Has a single nostril on the top of its bill (hence the name "tubenose" is given to the group of birds it belongs to). Very similar to the Northern Giant Petrel, but can be differentiated by its greenish bill tip (the Northern has a red bill tip). It was under threat, but has made a good recovery and was upgraded from "Near Threatened" to "Least Concern" by CITES in 2009.
Habitat:
Large range, from Antarctica to the southern tips of Chile, Africa and Australia. Mostly seafaring, but has stronger legs than most seabirds so is able to get about quite well on land. Its range overlaps with the Northern Giant Petrel, but as you might guess, there is a point further south when only the Southern is found.
Notes:
One of the most numerous seabirds we encountered! Since we went far enough south to get out of the Northern's range, this was probably the most common bird of my trip.
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