Mangoverde :: World Bird Guide :: Shearwaters and Petrels :: Antarctic Giant Petrel

Antarctic Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus

Described by: Gmelin (1789)
Alternate common name(s): Southern Giant Petrel, Southern Giant-petrel, Antarctic Giant-petrel, Giant Petrel, Giant Fulmar
Old scientific name(s): None known by website authors

Photographs

Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia - 2002 © Hans&Judy Beste  Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia - 2002 © Hans&Judy Beste  Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia - 2002 © Hans&Judy Beste  Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia - 2002 © Hans&Judy Beste  near Albany, Western Australia, Australia - Aug 24, 2005 © Jean-Philippe Paris 
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Range

Circumpolar; Southern Ocean between 40°S and 60°S;
Breeds on is. off the s. coast of Chile (Isla Noir, Diego Ramirez), South Georgia, South Sandwich, South Orkney, South Shetland, Gough, Staten, Falkland Is. (Steeple Jason and Grand Jason), Bouvet, Prince Edward, Marion, Crozet, Kerguelen, Heard, Macquarie Is. as well as Antarctica (Antarctic Peninsula, Adelie coast, Enderby Land, Windmill Is.). During summer, it occurs s. of 60°S to 63°S in s. Pacific and se. Indian Oceans, s. of 53°S in the Heard Is. region, n. to 28°S or 15°S in the Humboldt Current and n. to 38°S along the Argentine shelf.
Disperses n. in the winter to ca. 20°S from the pack ice of Antarctica n. to coastal waters off Chile to n. Peru, Argentina, Uruguay (Isla de Lobos), Brazil n. to Sao Paulo and Cape Frio, c. Namibia, South Africa, s. Mozambique, Australia, (Western Australia (Point Cloates), South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales to s. Queensland (Tropic)), Tasmania and New Zealand (North and South Islands). Juvenile birds follow the prevailing winds around the Southern Ocean. Immature birds follow cold currents into tropical waters off the w. coast of South America and w. Africa.

Videos

No videos are available for this species

Sounds

Location unknown - Date unknown Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

References

Clements, James F. Birds of the World: A Checklist. Vista, CA: Ibis Publishing Company, 2000.

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