One of the 6 petrels on WAnimals
Birds · Procellariiformes · Procellariidae
Cape Petrel
Daption capense
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The Cape petrel, or pintado petrel, has a black-and-white mottled back pattern so strongly contrasted that it looks like a chessboard, unique among the seabirds of the south. It is the most easily identified petrel of the Southern Ocean and one of the most gregarious: it follows ships in flocks and gathers noisily over any source of food. It feeds on krill, squid and carrion, and filters the water with its bill as it swims.
Weight
350 g – 530 g
Size
38 cm – 40 cm
Life expectancy
20 years
