Broad-billed Prion [Pachyptila vittata]
Description
The Broad-billed Prion is a small petrel species which is abundant in the Southern Ocean. It is named for its broad, whalebone-like bill, which is used to filter plankton and crustaceans from the water. The Broad-billed Prion has a blue-grey back and wings, a white underside, and a black 'M' marking across its wings. It nests in burrows and rock crevices on subantarctic islands. This species is known for its distinctive 'flickering' flight pattern.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Birds
Aves
|
| Order |
Albatrosses, Petrels, and Shearwaters
Procellariiformes
|
| Family |
Shearwaters and Petrels
Procellariidae
|
| Genus |
Broad-billed Prions
Pachyptila
|