Antarctic Prion
NameAntarctic Prion
Common NameAntarctic Prion
Scientific NamePachyptila desolata
FamilyProcellariidae
Wingspan (cm)65
Length (cm)28
Weight (g)185
Plumage DetailsUpperparts are blue-grey, with a darker 'M' shaped band extending across the wings and back. Underparts are white. The tail is blue-grey with a dark tip. It has a pale blue bill with dark lamellae visible on the sides.
Vocalization / CallAt sea, they are generally silent but may emit soft cooing or churring calls. At breeding colonies, they produce louder, purring or crooning vocalizations.
Primary Dietcarnivore
Primary Habitatscoastal
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeCircumpolar in the Southern Ocean, breeding on subantarctic islands such as the South Sandwich Islands, South Georgia, Heard Island, Kerguelen Islands, and Macquarie Island.
Identifying FeaturesBlue-grey upperparts with white underparts, Dark 'M' shaped band across wings, Pale blue bill with visible lamellae, Small size for a petrel
Description
The Antarctic Prion is a small, blue-grey seabird with a distinctive dark 'M' pattern across its wings. It spends most of its life at sea, feeding on zooplankton, and only comes to land on subantarctic islands to breed.
