Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur)
Fairy Prion

Fairy Prion

Pachyptila turtur

The Fairy Prion, Pachyptila turtur, is a diminutive seabird, cloaked in the characteristic prion attire of blue-grey upperparts adorned with a conspicuous dark "M" marking, contrasting with its pure white underparts. This species exhibits sexual monomorphism, with both sexes sharing the same plumage.

Identification Tips

To identify the Fairy Prion, look for a bird approximately 25 cm in length with a wingspan of 56 cm. The upperparts are blue-grey with a distinctive dark "M" extending to the wingtips, and the tail is wedge-shaped with a dark tip. The underparts are predominantly white. The bill is pale blue, and the legs and feet share the same hue. At sea, it is easily confused with the Fulmar Prion, as they are indistinguishable in that setting.

Habitat

The Fairy Prion is a bird of the ocean, favoring the low subantarctic and subtropical seas for its marine pursuits.

Distribution

This species is widely distributed across the Southern Hemisphere's oceans and coastal areas. Colonies are found in various locations, including the Falkland Isles, Bass Strait Islands of Australia, Crozet Isles, and several islands off New Zealand such as the Chatham, Antipodes, and Snares Islands.

Behaviour

The Fairy Prion is a colonial breeder, preferring secluded islands for nesting. They construct their nests in soil, concealed by vegetation, or within crevices, using their bills or feet to dig. These birds exhibit a tender nocturnal ritual, softly cooing and listening for their mate's response upon returning to their nest.

Song & Calls

At night, when approaching their nesting sites, Fairy Prions engage in a gentle cooing to communicate with their partners.

Breeding

Fairy Prions breed in colonies on small islands, with nests artfully hidden by the surrounding vegetation or nestled within crevices.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Fairy Prion is primarily composed of planktonic crustaceans and minuscule fish. They employ two foraging techniques: snatching prey from the ocean's surface or gracefully dipping their bills into the water while in flight.

Conservation status

The Fairy Prion is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with an estimated global population of 5 million individuals and a vast range of approximately 24.6 million square kilometers.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Fairy Prions on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😄
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
SW H
Wonderful App
Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
EandB17
Terrific App for Birders
Downloaded Birda around the time my interest in birding was sparked, and it has been a terrific app to help me (1) share my experience, (2) document my sightings, and (3) learn more about birds in general. That said, I also believe Birda is a fantastic app for birders of all experience levels. Great community!
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
Birdafan
Ideal Birdwatch Companion
Simply adds to the enjoyment of my birdwatching and helps me record what I’ve seen.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.