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Antarctic Petrel
(Thalassoica antarctica)
Size: 40-45 cm; wing span ca. 1.0 m
Weight: 550-780 g
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Antarctic Petrels are mid-size seabirds. Their head, bill, eyes,
neck, legs, feet, mantle and tip of the tail are all black,
while their breast, belly, vent and parts of the tail are all white.
The front of the upperwings is white, the flight feathers are white,
with a grey tip, while the underwings are all white, with a black
fringe all around.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Antarctic
Petrel at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Antarctic Petrel is available
HERE
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The Antarctic Petrel is found in Antarctica and on the southern
oceans,
mostly in the Ross and Weddell Seas.
They can occasionally reach Australian coastal waters along
the southern part of the continent, from about the Mornington
peninsula, SA, to Tasmania and the NSW/VIC border.
Antarctic Petrels breed on antarctic
offshore islands.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
B. Hensen reports spotting Antarctic Petrels on the Southern Ocean
off Antarctica in December 1993.
All photographic and sighting information presented
on this page has kindly been contributed by B. Hensen.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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Lateral view of an adult Antarctic Petrel in flight (photo
courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Southern Ocean off Antarctica, December 1993]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.