Birds · Procellariiformes · Procellariidae

Snow Petrel

Pagodroma nivea

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The snow petrel is an entirely white seabird with black eyes and bill, one of only three bird species ever observed at the geographic South Pole. It breeds in rock crevices in Antarctica, sometimes more than three hundred kilometres from the coast, on rocky outcrops that emerge from the ice. It feeds on krill and fish at the edge of the pack ice and is one of the southernmost breeding birds on the planet.

Weight

293 g – 341 g

Size

30 cm – 40 cm

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanPolarCarnivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Ocean Polar

6countries 18parks10same family

Fun facts

It breeds hundreds of kilometres inland in Antarctica, on nunataks protruding from the ice cap, and makes round trips to the sea of more than six hundred kilometres to feed a single chick.
Deposits of its stomach oil, hardened over time, build up beside its nests for millennia, and scientists use them to reconstruct Antarctic climate history over the past 30,000 years.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Pack ice and Antarctic waters; it breeds in rock crevices on the continent and on inland nunataks
Sexual maturity: 10.8 years
Gestation / incubation: 45 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 1 egg

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagodroma_nivea