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BIRDGACHA / FIELD NOTES

Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels

Petrels, shearwaters, fulmars and their relatives have tubular nostrils and hooked bills, but differ greatly in size and flight style. Long, narrow wings characterise many ocean gliders, while diving petrels have compact bodies and short wings. Examples include Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus), Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), and Antarctic Petrel (Thalassoica antarctica). They take fish, squid and other marine foods through surface feeding, scavenging or diving. Several travel enormous distances between breeding and nonbreeding regions. The family consequently includes much more than one dark shearwater silhouette, with wing pattern, bill shape and the way a bird uses wind providing separate clues.

How to recognize Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels

  • Bill: hooked bills with tubular nostrils.
  • Outline: bodies ranging from compact divers to long-winged gliders.
  • Feeding: taking marine prey by surface feeding and diving.

Where they live

Oceans worldwide provide feeding habitat, while islands and coastal sites support breeding colonies. Many species nest in burrows or rock crevices, though some use open ground. Marine productivity and wind conditions influence their distribution at sea, while colony habitat imposes different requirements on land. A bird seen far offshore may be thousands of kilometres from its nest, so annual range accounts need to distinguish breeding sites from migration routes and nonbreeding waters.

Species accounts: Southern Giant Petrel · Northern Fulmar · Antarctic Petrel

Sources — natural history: Wikipedia: Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels natural history · Cornell Birds of the World: Southern Giant Petrel species account · Don Roberson: Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels field observations and natural history.

Classification: IOC World Bird List: family names and classification.

Some Cornell Birds of the World account sections require a subscription.

Updated 2026-11-06. Species counts follow this site's catalogue. This is an editorial summary, not an expert peer review.

Explore similarities in appearance, feeding and habitat. These comparisons do not necessarily indicate the closest evolutionary relatives.

Species records retain their original English, Chinese and scientific names.

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Southern Giant PetrelSouthern Giant PetrelMacronectes giganteusNorthern Giant PetrelNorthern Giant PetrelMacronectes halliNorthern FulmarNorthern FulmarFulmarus glacialisSouthern FulmarSouthern FulmarFulmarus glacialoidesAntarctic PetrelAntarctic PetrelThalassoica antarcticaPintado PetrelPintado PetrelDaption capenseSnow PetrelSnow PetrelPagodroma niveaBlue PetrelBlue PetrelHalobaena caeruleaBroad-billed PrionBroad-billed PrionPachyptila vittataSalvin's PrionSalvin's PrionPachyptila salviniMacGillivray's PrionMacGillivray's PrionPachyptila macgillivrayiAntarctic PrionAntarctic PrionPachyptila desolataSlender-billed PrionSlender-billed PrionPachyptila belcheriFairy PrionFairy PrionPachyptila turturFulmar PrionFulmar PrionPachyptila crassirostrisKerguelen PetrelKerguelen PetrelAphrodroma brevirostrisGreat-winged PetrelGreat-winged PetrelPterodroma macropteraWhite-headed PetrelWhite-headed PetrelPterodroma lessoniiGrey-faced PetrelGrey-faced PetrelPterodroma gouldiAtlantic PetrelAtlantic PetrelPterodroma incertaProvidence PetrelProvidence PetrelPterodroma solandriMagenta PetrelMagenta PetrelPterodroma magentaeMurphy's PetrelMurphy's PetrelPterodroma ultimaSoft-plumaged PetrelSoft-plumaged PetrelPterodroma mollisZino's PetrelZino's PetrelPterodroma madeiraFea's PetrelFea's PetrelPterodroma feaeDesertas PetrelDesertas PetrelPterodroma desertaBermuda PetrelBermuda PetrelPterodroma cahowBlack-capped PetrelBlack-capped PetrelPterodroma hasitataJuan Fernandez PetrelJuan Fernandez PetrelPterodroma externaVanuatu PetrelVanuatu PetrelPterodroma occultaKermadec PetrelKermadec PetrelPterodroma neglectaHerald PetrelHerald PetrelPterodroma heraldicaTrindade PetrelTrindade PetrelPterodroma arminjonianaHenderson PetrelHenderson PetrelPterodroma atrataPhoenix PetrelPhoenix PetrelPterodroma albaBarau's PetrelBarau's PetrelPterodroma barauiHawaiian PetrelHawaiian PetrelPterodroma sandwichensisGalapagos PetrelGalapagos PetrelPterodroma phaeopygiaMottled PetrelMottled PetrelPterodroma inexpectataWhite-necked PetrelWhite-necked PetrelPterodroma cervicalisBlack-winged PetrelBlack-winged PetrelPterodroma nigripennisChatham Islands PetrelChatham Islands PetrelPterodroma axillarisBonin PetrelBonin PetrelPterodroma hypoleucaGould's PetrelGould's PetrelPterodroma leucopteraCollared PetrelCollared PetrelPterodroma brevipesCook's PetrelCook's PetrelPterodroma cookiiMasatierra PetrelMasatierra PetrelPterodroma defilippiana