Includes Spectacled Petrel
- Procellaria aequinoctialis
Identification
There is a thread discussing the identification of White-chinned Petrel and confusion species.[[1]]
55 cm in length. 147 cm in wingspan.
Distribution
South Australia, Peru and Namibia; breeds colonially on South Georgia, Prince Edward Islands, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands, Auckland Island, Campbell Island and Antipodes Islands.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are recognized:
- P.a. aequinoctialis - circumpolar breeding on subantarctic islands
- P.a. conspicillata - Inaccessible Island
Status of Spectacled Petrel conspicillata
Recently, the SACC (2008) passed a proposal to separate conspicillata as a full species, citing vocal differences noted by Ryan (1998). However, it is treated as a subspecies of aequinoctialis by most authorities (Howard & Moore, 2003; Sibley & Monroe, 1996), and the Opus follows this consensus.
Habitat
Open sea except when breeding.
Behaviour
The diet includes krill.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.