Common Diving Petrel

The Common Diving Petrel, or Pelecanoides urinatrix, is a small seabird with a plump body, measuring between 200 to 250 mm in length and weighing approximately 86 to 186 grams. Its plumage is a contrast of black above and a dull white below, with a short black bill and thin white strips on the wings. The face and neck may exhibit a brownish tinge, and the legs and feet are blue, connected by blackish-brown webbing.

Identification Tips

Distinguishing this species from its close relatives can be challenging. The Common Diving Petrel has brown inner web primary feathers, while the South Georgian Diving Petrel, a similar species, has light inner web feathering. The bill of the Common Diving Petrel is smaller and narrower than that of the South Georgian species, and it lacks the posterior black line down the tarsi found in the latter. The Common Diving Petrel is also marginally larger.

Habitat

This bird is typically found on islands between the latitudes of 35 and 55 degrees south. It nests in burrows, which are often dug into vegetated slopes, though they can also be found on flatlands.

Distribution

The Common Diving Petrel is native to various islands across the South Atlantic and the subantarctic southern Indian Ocean, including regions off New Zealand and southeastern Australian islands. Its range extends to the Falkland Islands and possibly Southern Chile.

Behaviour

The Common Diving Petrel is known for its diving prowess, capable of reaching depths of 60 meters to catch prey, primarily consisting of crustaceans. It forages on the continental shelf during the breeding season, and its non-breeding season movements are not well documented.

Breeding

Breeding colonies of the Common Diving Petrel are dense, with about one nest per square meter. The nest is a burrow with a chamber at the end, sometimes lined with dried grass. A single white egg is laid, incubated for 53-55 days. Chicks are brooded for 10-15 days and fledge at 45-59 days. Both parents are involved in rearing the young, which are grey-grown upon hatching. The species has a life expectancy of about 6.5 years.

Similar Species

The South Georgian Diving Petrel is the most similar species, but can be differentiated by its lighter inner web feathering, larger bill, and the black line on the tarsi.

Diet and Feeding

The diet is dominated by crustaceans, and the birds are known to forage at night on vertically migrating plankton. Feeding occurs near the shore or in the deeper pelagic zone during the non-breeding season.

Conservation status

The Common Diving Petrel is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a population trend that is decreasing but not at a rate that warrants immediate concern.