Birds · Procellariiformes · Procellariidae

Southern Giant Petrel

Macronectes giganteus

Least Concern

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

The southern giant petrel, also known in Spanish as abanto marino antártico, petrel gigante antártico or petrel gigante común, is a procellariiform bird of the family Procellariidae with a very wide natural distribution, taking in all the seas of the Southern Hemisphere, from the coasts of Antarctica to the Tropic of Capricorn. It is the size of an albatross, with a somewhat hunched look in flight. Unlike other petrels, which shuffle along the ground on folded legs, it is quite agile on land. It feeds mainly on marine animals, although it also eats carrion on land or hunts smaller seabirds. The breeding colonies are on islands or along the coast.

Weight

3.9 kg – 4.9 kg

Size

86 cm – 99 cm

Lifespan

35 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

OceanPolarIslandsCarnivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Ocean Polar Islands

11countries 25parks10same family

Fun facts

GeneralA scavenger at penguin and seal colonies; its wingspan reaches 2 m.
alimentaciónIt eats both carrion and live prey, other seabirds' chicks included, and behaves far more like a predator than most of its petrel relatives.
It is the only seabird of the Southern Ocean able to open the skin of a dead seal by itself: its hooked, massive bill gives it access to a resource no other species can exploit unaided.
It defends itself and attacks by spitting a rancid stomach oil several metres: on another seabird that oil mats the plumage and can be fatal through loss of waterproofing.
Males and females divide up the resources: the males dominate carcasses on land and the females feed more at sea, a segregation that reduces competition within the pair.