Broad-billed Prion
NameBroad-billed Prion
Common NameBroad-billed Prion
Scientific NamePachyptila vittata
FamilyProcellariidae
Wingspan (cm)61.5
Length (cm)27.5
Weight (g)200
Plumage DetailsUpperparts are blue-grey, with a darker 'M' pattern across the wings visible in flight. Underparts are white, and it has a dark eye-stripe. The bill is pale blue with a black tip, and the legs are blue.
Vocalization / CallVocalizations include soft cooing and purring sounds, often heard at night around breeding colonies. They can also produce a series of harsh, chattering calls when disturbed.
Primary Dietcarnivore
Primary Habitatscoastal
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeFound throughout the Southern Ocean, with a circumpolar distribution. It breeds on subantarctic islands, including those off New Zealand, Australia, and the South Atlantic.
Identifying FeaturesBroad, flattened bill with lamellae (filter plates), Blue-grey upperparts with dark 'M' pattern on wings, White underparts, Dark eye-stripe, Shearing flight close to the water surface
Description
The Broad-billed Prion is a small, blue-grey and white seabird known for its distinctive broad, flattened bill. It exhibits a graceful, shearing flight pattern over the open ocean, often seen in large flocks. This species primarily feeds by filter-feeding zooplankton from the surface of the water.
