Antarctic Petrel

Identification

The Antarctic petrel is a boldly marked medium-sized petrel with distinctive dark and light plumage. Adults display a brown head, sides, throat, and back contrasted sharply with white underparts. The tail and secondary wing feathers are white with brown tips, and a large white spot adorns the wings. The bill is dark brown and the feet are grey. These birds measure 40–45 cm in length with a wingspan of 100–110 cm and weigh approximately 675 g on average, making them medium-sized relative to other petrels.

Range & Habitat

The Antarctic petrel inhabits the Southern Ocean and Antarctic islands, with populations most commonly found in the Ross and Weddell Seas. They nest on snow-free cliffs and rock faces along coasts and offshore islands, though individuals have been recorded up to 250 km inland. Icebergs serve as common roosting sites. During the October–November breeding season, colonies can reach enormous proportions, with the largest known colony at Mühlig-Hofmann Mountains estimated at approximately one million birds including non-breeders and chicks. Occasionally, Antarctic petrels migrate to Australia or New Zealand during late winter, typically when driven by severe storms.

Behaviour & Diet

Antarctic petrels primarily feed on krill, supplemented with small squid and fish. They typically seize food while swimming at the surface but are capable hunters that plunge-dive to depths of up to 1.5 m to obtain prey. Breeding occurs during October and November, when pairs lay a single egg and both parents share incubation duties for 45–48 days, followed by a 42–47 day nestling period. Notably, approximately 4% of breeding pairs are female-female partnerships. Hatching rates are high at 70–90%, though eggs can be lost to predation by South polar skuas or by rolling from nests and freezing.

Best Time & Places to See It

The Antarctic petrel's breeding season of October–November offers the best opportunity to observe these birds in large concentrations at their nesting colonies. The Ross and Weddell Seas are prime locations for encounters. Given their immense range spanning 77,500,000 km² and estimated population of 10–20 million adults, Antarctic petrels are relatively abundant throughout Antarctic waters and nearby regions, though accessing their remote habitat requires dedicated polar travel.

Photography Tips

The Antarctic petrel's striking contrast between brown upperparts and white underparts makes it visually distinctive and photogenic, particularly when captured in flight against Antarctic seascapes. The large white wing patches and tail are key identifying features worth emphasizing in photographs. Photographers should be prepared for the challenging conditions of polar regions, including variable lighting, harsh weather, and the need for stable platforms—either ships or aircraft—to capture these ocean-dwelling birds in their natural habitat.