Southern Giant-Petrel (Macronectes giganteus)

Scapulars raised blowing in the wind. Sometimes called Giant Fulmar, this is a dark morph adult with a white head. Immatures have dark heads. Note the pale bill tip as opposed to the dark reddish bill tip of the similar Northern Giant-Petrel posted earlier. Southern are marginally larger than Northern and adults usually have a slightly paler head. Mixed pairs comprise Up to 2% of the South Georgia population but identification of hybrids after they leave the nest remains elusive. Northern breed earlier than Southern limiting potential hybridization (Brown et al. 2015). The two species were split based on a 1966 study by Bourne & Warham.