Return of Bird of the Week: Cape Petrel

Cape Petrel, South Shetland Islands, Southern Ocean

There are whole families of smaller birds, ranging from crow-sized to sparrow-sized, that spend their whole lives on the ocean, coming ashore only to breed. Petrels, Prions, Storm-petrels, Diving-petrels; they are all adapted to live on the ocean, with no need for fresh water.

One of those smaller marine birds is the Cape Petrel, in Spanish the Pintado or Painted Petrel. It is probably the most common bird species on the Southern Ocean, and the easiest to see because it is an enthusiastic ship-follower.

Cape Petrels, Antarctic Peninsula

Their wings are a little under three feet long but the birds are only fifteen inches in length. The high wing to body ratio makes them lovely, elegant fliers. They swirl around ships, using the deflected winds to bank and turn as they follow.

Cape Petrel, South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

You can see the tube structure on top of the bird’s bill. It’s a naricorn, and helps the bird excrete excess salt. It gives this whole family of birds their nickname, “tube noses.”

Ornithoologists estimate there are some 2 million Cape Petrels spread across an enormous range, all of the Southern Ocean and portions of the South Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are generalists, eating a wide variety of foods. Unlike so many other sea birds, they are a species of least concern.

In fair weather, one of WC’s favorite activities on the long transits was to sit on the stern of the ship, watching the petrels.

For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.

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