Southern Giant Petrel
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'''Diet:''' Seal and penguin carcasses, offal, refuse from ships and discarded fish; they often feed close to trawlers and vessels fishing with longlines. They also prey upon penguins and other birds, krill and amphipod crustaceans, fish and squid. During chick rearing, they depend heavily on penguins and seal colonies, as a food resource. | '''Diet:''' Seal and penguin carcasses, offal, refuse from ships and discarded fish; they often feed close to trawlers and vessels fishing with longlines. They also prey upon penguins and other birds, krill and amphipod crustaceans, fish and squid. During chick rearing, they depend heavily on penguins and seal colonies, as a food resource. | ||
| - | '''Nesting:''' There are two color forms of this species: a rare white form that is flecked with black and a dark form with mottled greyish-brown feathers with a paler belly. In this dark form, the head, neck and upper area of the breast whitens with age. The sexes are similar and juveniles are sooty-black in color. | + | '''Nesting:''' There are two color forms of this species: a rare white form that is flecked with black and a dark form with mottled greyish-brown feathers with a paler belly. In this dark form, the head, neck and upper area of the breast whitens with age. The sexes are similar and juveniles are sooty-black in color. It typically nests in loose colonies on grassy or bare ground, often close to penguin colonies. However, in the Falkland Islands it can nest in large, relatively dense colonies. Average age of first breeding is c.10 years, and mean adult annual survival at South Georgia is 90%. |
'''Cool Facts:''' Petrels are able to regurgitate foul-smelling oil which they spit at intruders; this habit earned the southern giant petrel the alternative name of ‘stinker'. | '''Cool Facts:''' Petrels are able to regurgitate foul-smelling oil which they spit at intruders; this habit earned the southern giant petrel the alternative name of ‘stinker'. | ||
Males and females have distinct foraging ranges during the breeding season. | Males and females have distinct foraging ranges during the breeding season. | ||
