Northern Giant Petrel (Hall's Giant Petrel)

The Northern Giant Petrel, also known as the Hall's giant petrel, is a large predatory seabird of the southern oceans. Its distribution overlaps broadly with the similar southern giant petrel, though it overall is centred slightly further north. In this sequence, you can see an adult taking off near Isla de los Lobos, a small island in front of Punta del Este, Maldonado, Uruguay.

The Southern and Northern Giant Petrel were not established as separate species until 1966.

The Northern Giant Petrel averages 90 cm in length. Its plumage consists of grey-brown body with lighter coloured forehead, sides of face, and chin. Its bill is between 90–105 mm long and is pinkish yellow with a brown tip, and its eyes are grey. The juvenile of this species is completely dark brown and lightens as it ages. It can be differentiated from the similar coloured Southern Giant Petrel by the top of the bill, which on the southern is green.

They have a salt gland that is situated above the nasal passage and helps desalinate their bodies, due to the high amount of ocean water that they imbibe. It excretes a concentrated saline solution from their nostrils.