What is the size of a giant petrel?

Length: Northern – 80 to 95 cm. Southern – 85 to 100 cm. Weight: Northern – 3 to 5 kg.

1. How big is a giant petrel?
2. How tall is a southern giant petrel?
3. Is a petrel a penguin?
4. What does a giant petrel look like?
5. How far can a petrel fly?
6. What does a petrel look like?
7. Do seals eat petrels?
8. What does the word petrel mean?
9. How many petrels are there?
10. Is a petrel an albatross?
11. Where do petrel birds live?
12. How big is an albatross?
13. What does the petrel eat?

How big is a giant petrel?

The northern giant petrel is 3 to 5 kg (6.6–11.0 lb), 150 to 210 cm (59–83 in) across the wings and 80 to 95 cm (31–37 in) of body length. They superficially resemble the albatross, and are the only procellarids that can equal them in size.

How tall is a southern giant petrel?

The southern giant petrel measures 86 to 99 cm (34–39 in) with a wingspan of 185 to 205 cm (6 ft 1 in–6 ft 9 in). Both this and the northern giant petrel vary considerably in size, with southern colonies averaging larger than northern colonies, in line with Bergmann's rule.

Is a petrel a penguin?

Petrels have a high supply stress and altriciality coefficient, compared to birds, while penguins are a very small altriciality coefficient. ... They have a relatively long life span, compared to other birds, but not extreme. The relative egg size of penguins is typical for birds, to smaller than typical.

What does a giant petrel look like?

There are two forms of giant petrels, a more common darker grey brown form with a head and neck that becomes paler with age, and a rarer much lighter form, mainly white and flecked with black. They have a large and strong bill capable of ripping open carcasses to feed.

How far can a petrel fly?

During egg incubation, white-chinned petrels undertake long foraging trips of up to 15 days duration (mean of 13 days) and travelling up to more than 8000 km (Berrow et al., 2000).

What does a petrel look like?

During the nonbreeding season, these birds roam the open ocean, feeding on squid and small fish. Most gadfly petrels are dark above and light beneath, with long wings and short, wedge-shaped tails. Because they are quite similar in appearance, the species are difficult to distinguish.

Do seals eat petrels?

Their diet changes with age and opportunities. Young seals eat krill, squid and fish. ... They are an important food source for whales, seals, squid, icefish, penguins, petrels and many other species of birds. Antarctic silverfish are small, pelagic fish – about the size of a sardine.

What does the word petrel mean?

Definition of petrel

: any of numerous seabirds (especially families Procellariidae and Hydrobatidae) especially : one of the smaller long-winged birds that fly far from land — compare storm petrel.

How many petrels are there?

How many Giant Petrels are there today? The Northern Giant Petrel population is estimated to be between 17,000 to 21,000. The Southern population is estimated at 97,000.

Is a petrel an albatross?

The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group (all except the albatross family, Diomedeidae).

Where do petrel birds live?

Habitat of the Petrel

Many spend most of their lives out on the open ocean or hunting near coastal waters or around islands. The temperature regions vary between the extremes. Some species live only in tropical oceans near small islands, while others live in frigid Antarctic or Arctic waters.

How big is an albatross?

Albatrosses take several years to get their full adult breeding plumage. The wingspans of the largest great albatrosses (genus Diomedea) are the largest of any bird, exceeding 340 cm (11.2 ft), although the other species' wingspans are considerably smaller at, down to 1.75 m (5.7 ft).

What does the petrel eat?

Diet and feeding

At sea, snow petrel eat mainly fish, some cephalopods (squid), other molluscs, and euphausiids. They also feed on seal placenta and the carcasses of dead seals, whales and penguins, and occasionally eat refuse on land. Snow petrels do not normally follow vessels.