Birds · Procellariiformes · Pelecanoididae

Common Diving-Petrel

Pelecanoides urinatrix

Least Concern

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

The common diving petrel is a small, stocky black and white seabird that flies with rapid, whirring beats just above the water and dives without slowing, going straight through the waves and carrying on in flight on the other side. It breeds in burrows dug on subantarctic islands and only enters the colony at night. It is the southern equivalent of the auks of the northern hemisphere, with no relationship to them at all.

Weight

105 g – 180 g

Size

20 cm – 25 cm

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanPolarIslandsCarnivore Nocturnal Colonial Bird Ocean Polar Islands

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Fun facts

It flies straight through the waves: it enters the water without slowing, swims with its wings below the surface and comes out the other side carrying on in flight, with no pause between one medium and the other.
It is a case of almost perfect evolutionary convergence with the auklets of the northern hemisphere: same size, same outline, same way of life and no close relationship.
Its burrow colonies are extremely vulnerable to introduced rats and cats, and several island populations have disappeared within a few years of those predators arriving.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Subantarctic waters of the southern hemisphere; breeds in burrows on oceanic islands
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 53 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 1 egg

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