Birds of New Zealand, Hawaii, Central and West Pacific

7 Albatrosses & Giant Petrels

7.1 SOOTY ALBATROSS Phoebetria fusca [Albatros brun] W 203cm. Overall sooty brown, slightly darker on head. In worn plumage (b) paler on back, especially in neck, and then slightly similar to 7.2. Note that line along lower mandible is pale yellow. This line in Juv. very narrow and hardly visible.

Vagrant over open sea.

Off NZ. R

7.2 LIGHT-MANTLED (NZSooty) ALBATROSS Phoebetria palpebrata [Albatros fuligineux] W 200cm. Body and underwings paler-coloured than 7.1, especially on mantle. Line along lower mandible is white and narrower than that of 7.1. Juv. scalloped above and line along lower mandible hardly visible or absent.

Rocky islands with vegetated cliffs and steep slopes.

Drawn-out wails.

Breeds NZ 6–8. R

7.3 HALL’S (or NZNorthern) GIANT PETREL Macronectes halli [Pétrel de Hall] W 190cm. Very similar to 7.4; main difference is colour of bill tip which in this species is red-brown. Eyes normally pale (sometimes brown), becoming even paler with age. No white plumage morph like 7.4. Imm. dark brown like Imm. 7.4, but with reddish bill tip.

Coastal areas with some shelter of sparse vegetation, rocks, banks. Inshore, offshore and open ocean.

Low, nasal grumbles and croaks.

Breeds NZ 4,6–8. R

7.4 ANTARCTIC (or NZSouthern) GIANT PETREL Macronectes giganteus [Pétrel géant] W 195cm. From 7.3 mainly by pea-green bill tip. White morph (a, lacking in 7.3) is uncommon. Eyes normally brown but can be pale grey.

Inshore and offshore.

Low, nasal grumbles and croaks.

NZ seas. R

8 Prions, Fulmars & Petrels

Note that most Prions show distinct M on wings, but cf. 9.3–4, 9.7–8, 10.1–2, 10.5–8, 11.1, 11.4–5, 12.3 and 14.2.8.1 BROAD-BILLED PRION Pachyptila vittata [Prion de Forster] W 62cm. Seemingly large-headed. Bill larger than the other 5 prions and coloured black (not grey like 8.2). Note steep forehead.

Breeds in burrows or in caves and crevices in cliffs. Offshore and open ocean.

Short, very low, rhythmic croaking.

Breeds NZ 4,5.

8.2 SALVIN’S PRION Pachyptila salvini [Prion de Salvin] W 57cm. Separation from 8.1 and 8.3 probably impossible at sea. In the hand shows comb-like lamellae at base of closed bill. Bill grey.

Inshore and offshore.

Hoarse, rather excited croaking at different pitch.

NZ seas.

8.3 ANTARCTIC PRION Pachyptila desolata [Prion de la Désolation] W 63cm. Smaller and bluer bill than 8.1 and – though collar more distinct – not safely separable from 8.2.

Breeds in burrows and rock crevices; feeds offshore and in open ocean.

Low, hoarse and falsetto croaking (not unlike statics on radio).

Breeds NZ 6,8.

8.4 SLENDER- (or NZThin-)BILLED PRION Pachyptila belcheri [Prion de Belcher] W 56cm. The M on wings less distinct than 8.1–8.3, especially in worn plumage (a). Note small, narrow bill and extensive, distinct white eyebrow, giving pale-faced expression.

Inshore, offshore and open ocean.

NZ seas.

8.5 FAIRY PRION Pachyptila turtur [Prion colombe] W 56cm. Note indistinct facial pattern and narrow M on wings. At sea not safely separable from 8.6.

Breeds in burrows or in rock crevices and caves. Feeds offshore and in open ocean.

High, excited croaking.

Breeds NZ 4,5,8.

8.6 FULMAR PRION13 Pachyptila crassirostris [Prion à bec épais] W 60cm. Difficult to separate at sea from smaller-billed 8.5 with similar pale face pattern; best distinction said to be its ‘looping’ flight.

Breeds in crevices and in tunnels in cliffs. At sea, inshore and offshore.

Low, hoarse, at times bouncing croaking.

Breeds NZ 4–6,9.

8.7 ANTARCTIC PETREL Thalassoica antarctica [Pétrel antarctique] W 105cm. Note characteristic pattern of upperparts with contrasting white secondaries and tail.

Inshore and offshore.

Low, hoarse croaks.

Breeds NZ 8. R

8.8 NORTHERN FULMAR Fulmarus glacialis [Fulmar boréal] W 107cm. Pale morph (b) more blotchy, less solid pearl-grey above and its dark morph (b, only morph yet seen near Hawaii) is darker than the Atlantic ssp glacialis (which does not occur in the area).

Offshore.

Off Ha. R

8.9 SOUTHERN (or NZAntarctic) FULMAR Fulmarus glacialoides [Fulmar argenté] W 118cm. Note diagnostic contrasting wing pattern with white flash on outer wings more contrastingly patterned above than 8.4. From gulls by gliding flight on stiff wings.

Offshore and open ocean.

High, hoarse, subdued shrieks.

Breeds NZ 8.

9 Petrels

9.1 TAHITI PETREL Pterodroma rostrata [Pétrel de Tahiti] W 84cm. Very similar to 10.3, which see. Note the pale stripe down centre of underwings, sharp demarcation on chest and rather pale uppertail coverts. Flies with straight wings held perpendicular to body, alternating deep wingbeats with banking glides and arcs.

Breeds in burrows on mountain slopes with thick forest cover. Forages at open sea.

Nasal, drawn-out shrieks at varying pitch.

Breeds FrPo 3,4,19,

Co 1. R

9.2 FIJI PETREL Pterodroma macillivrayi [Pétrel des Fidji] W 68cm. Characterised by small size and uniform brown plumage. From 12.5 by lack of paler wingbar.

Breeding grounds unknown; presumed to forage offshore.

Fi 10. R E.Fi

9.3 GOULD’S PETREL14 Pterodroma leucoptera [Pétrel de Gould] W 70cm. Note small size, black cap, narrow underwing markings and dark M across wings.

Offshore and open seas.

Very high, sharp, nasal shrieks tfeet-tfeet—.

A.Sa 2. Fi, Co. R (see also 11.4).

9.4 BLACK-WINGED PETREL Pterodroma nigripennis [Pétrel à ailes noires] W 67cm. From 9.3 by paler cap and darker, broader underwing markings. Offshore and open seas. Digs nest burrows under scrub and tussocks or breeds in rock crevices.

High, hollow, mourning twoot notes in series of 3–20. Also high, nasal and falsetto shrieks.

Breeds NZ 4,10,11,

FrPo 30.

9.5 PROVIDENCE PETREL Pterodroma solandri [Pétrel de Solander] W 100cm. Head contrastingly darker. Note white markings at bill base and pale base of primaries on underwings. Very similar to 9.6, 10.4 (dark morph), 11.2 and 11.3, which see.

Offshore and open seas. Nests in burrows or rock crevices, often within forest. Breeds also on sparsely vegetated cliffs.

High, upslurred eeuuh-eeuuh—.

Disperses N after breeding Lord Howe I. R

9.6 GREAT-WINGED PETREL15 Pterodroma macroptera [Pétrel noir] W 99cm. Nom. (a, with little white at bill base) shown and ssp gouldi (b, NZGrey-faced Petrel, with more white in face). From 9.5 by more uniform plumage and little or no pale flash on outer underwings.

Offshore and open ocean. Nests in burrows or crevices under clumps of vegetation.

Breeds islands and mainland N NZ 1.

9.7 SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL Pterodroma mollis [Pétrel soyeux] W 89cm. Polymorph, pale (a) and rare dark (b) morphs shown. Note that collar is closed across breast and that more or less distinct pattern of underwings (often appearing uniform dark) resembles pattern of upperwings.

Offshore and open ocean. Breeds in burrows under dense cover.

Very high, drawn-out, wailing shrieks.

Breeds NZ 8.

9.8 WHITE-HEADED PETREL Pterodroma lessonii [Pétrel de Lesson] W 109cm. Note white head and pale grey rump and tail, contrasting with darker wings and mantle.

Offshore and open ocean. Breeds in burrows under tussocks, ferns, low shrub, often in open grassland.

Low croaks and series sounding as if produced by a dry bicycle pump.

Breeds NZ 6,8.

9.9 MAGENTA (or NZChatham I. Taiko) PETREL Pterodroma magentae [Pétrel de Magenta] W 102cm. From 9.1 by different underwing pattern, from 10.3 mainly by range.

Offshore. Breeds in dense forest.

Breeds NZ 4. R

10 Petrels

10.1 CHATHAM PETREL Pterodroma axillaris [Pétrel des Chatham] W 67cm. Diagnostic underwing pattern, in which carpal joint is connected by bar to rear edge where touching body.

Offshore and open ocean. Breeds in burrows in soft clay under vegetation clumps and tussocks.

Very high, rapid, staccato tseetseetsee in flight.

Breeds NZ 4. R

10.2 MOTTLED PETREL Pterodroma inexpectata [Pétrel maculé] W 85cm. Underparts with diagnostic broad bar across underwings and brownish belly.

Nests in burrows in rocky ground and tussock grassland.

High, thin shrieks in short, slightly lowered series.

Breeds NZ 3,5. R

10.3 PHOENIX PETREL Pterodroma alba [Pétrel à poitrine blanche] W 83cm. Very similar to 9.1, 9.9 and 11.3, but underwings solid brown except narrow white line along leading edge.

Offshore and open ocean. Breeds not in burrows, but on the ground at sheltered sites under trees or bushes.

High, sharp bickering, down-slurred at the end.

Breeds Ki, FrPo 3, Pi. R

10.4 KERMADEC PETREL Pterodroma neglecta [Pétrel des Kermadec] W 92cm. Polymorph, dark (a) morph and pale (b) morphs shown; most common is intermediate morph (not shown). All morphs generally difficult to separate from similar petrels (e.g. 9.5, 11.2 and 11.3) but white primary shafts on upperwings (hard to see) diagnostic.

Nests on cliffs or slopes with little vegetation.

Long, drawn-out, mourning shrieks and bleating, changing in pitch.

Breeds NZ 10. R

10.5 JUAN FERNANDEZ PETREL Pterodroma externa [Pétrel de Juan Fernandez] W 97cm. Note large size and narrow black bar to underwings. Often shows horseshoe-like white base to upper tail.

Breeds outside the area.

Short series of mewing and trumpet-like notes. Also drawn-out hooting.

Breeds Juan Fernandez Is, Chile, from where disperses north. R

10.6 WHITE-NECKED (or NZWhite-naped) PETREL Pterodroma cervicalis [Pétrel à col blanc] W 100cm. White neck diagnostic but beware of individuals of 10.5 with pale grey neck.

Offshore and open seas. May nest in burrows (Kermadecs).

Breeds NZ 10. R

10.7 STEJNEGER’S PETREL Pterodroma longirostris [Pétrel de Stejneger] W 60cm. Note narrow black bar to underwings, similar to 10.8, but shows darker upperparts.

Offshore and open sea. Nests in burrows under ferns.

Breeds Juan Fernandez Is, Chile, from where disperses north. R

10.8 COOK’S PETREL Pterodroma cookii [Pétrel de Cook] W 65cm. Cf. 10.7. Upper parts paler grey than other small petrels.

Breeds in burrows near ridges or steep slopes in thick forest.

Mid-high, nasal chatters.

Breeds NZ 12 and other small islands off NZ. R