Southern Giant Petrel [Macronectes giganteus]
Description
The Southern Giant Petrel is a large seabird of the southern oceans. Its size ranges from 86 to 99 cm with a wingspan of 185 to 205 cm. It has a robust build, with a large head and bill. It's variable in color, ranging from completely dark brown to white, with most birds being somewhere in between. The Southern Giant Petrel is an opportunistic feeder, scavenging from carcasses of marine mammals and birds, preying on penguin chicks and other birds, and feeding on krill and squid. It nests in colonies on islands throughout the Southern Ocean.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Birds
Aves
|
| Order |
Albatrosses, Petrels, and Shearwaters
Procellariiformes
|
| Family |
Shearwaters and Petrels
Procellariidae
|
| Genus |
Giant Petrels
Macronectes
|