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3

Northern Giant-Petrel

(Macronectes halli)
Alternate name(s): "Hall's Giant-Petrel", "Giant Fulmar*", "Mother Carey's Goose*", "Nelly*", "Stinker*"
Size: 80-95 cm; wing span 1.5-2.1 m
Weight: ca. 3.5-5 kg (male); ca. 2.5-4 kg (female)

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Northern Giant-Petrel at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal comparison of a Northern Giant-Petrel (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Eaglehawk Neck, near Hobart, TAS, September 2021]

Frontal comparison of a Northern Giant-Petrel (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Eaglehawk Neck, near Hobart, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral view of a Northern Giant-Petrel on the ground (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Antarctica, January 2005]

Lateral comparison of a Northern Giant-Petrel (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Eaglehawk Neck, near Hobart, TAS, September 2021]

Near-frontal comparison of a Northern Giant-Petrel, far right, with a juvenile Southern Giant-Petrel
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Eaglehawk Neck, near Hobart, TAS, September 2021]

Lateral comparison of a Northern Giant-Petrel, left, with a juvenile Southern Giant-Petrel (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Eaglehawk Neck, near Hobart, TAS, September 2021]

Near-lateral view of a Northern Giant-Petrel in flight (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean, December 1993]

Lateral view of a Northern Giant-Petrel in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Eaglehawk Neck, near Hobart, TAS, September 2021]

Food, Diet

Next to fresh kills, Northern Giant Petrels also feed on carrion.

Northern Giant-Petrel feeding on an Elephant seal carcass (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean, December 1993]

Northern Giant-Petrel, centre, and three Brown Skuas feeding on a seal carcass (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean, December 1993]

Northern Giant-Petrel gobbling up food scraps (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Eaglehawk Neck, near Hobart, TAS, September 2021]

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.

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