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Soft-plumaged Petrel
(Pterodroma mollis)
Size: 33-36 cm; wing span ca. 90 cm
Weight: 250-350 g
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Soft-plumaged Petrels are small seabirds. The cap, back, rump and
upper tail are grey, the upperwings are dark-grey, with grey tips
of the flight feathers and a light-grey leading edge. The front,
i.e., throat, breast, belly, vent and underside of the tail, is
white. The underwing pattern is almost all grey, with light-grey
tips of the flight feathers.
The white face, with a short black eye stripe, is accentuated by
a grey neck band that encircles the neck completely. The bill is
dark-grey.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Soft-plumaged
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
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The global distribution of the Soft-plumaged Petrel is available
HERE
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Soft-plumaged Petrels have a circumpolar distribution around
the South Pole, reaching the southern tips of South America,
South Africa and southern Australia and New Zealand.
Only nominate race
"mollis" of the Soft-plumaged Petrel is found in the
open sea
of the Southern Ocean and the southern parts of Australia. In
Australia Soft-plumaged Petrels can reach coastal waters and the southern
coastline anywhere from about Woolongong, NSW (outside the breeding
season even up to about Fraser Island, QLD), to Exmouth, WA.
Soft-plumaged Petrels breed on small antarctic and subantarctic
islands, including
Macquarie Island.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
B. Hensen reports spotting a Soft-plumaged Petrel, race
"mollis",
near Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean, in December 1993.
M. Roderick found Soft-plumaged Petrels, race
"mollis",
off Port Stephens, NSW, in September 2020.
All photographic information presented on this page has been
kindly contributed by M. Roderick.
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Photos |
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Race "mollis"
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ADULT |
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Near-frontal view of a Soft-plumaged Petrel in flight
(photo courtesy of M. Roderick)
[Off Port Stephens, NSW, September 2020]
Lateral view of a Soft-plumaged Petrel in flight
(photo courtesy of M. Roderick)
[Off Port Stephens, NSW, September 2020]
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.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
