Southern Giant Petrel

The southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus) is a large seabird native to the Southern Ocean. They are among the largest of the petrel family, with a wingspan reaching up to 2.1 meters (around 7 feet) and a body length of 86-99 cm (34-39 inches). They can weigh between 3.8 to 8.7 kg (8.4 to 19.2 lbs).

Southern giant petrels have two colour morphs: dark and light. The dark morph is uniformly greyish-brown, while the light morph has a white head, neck, and underparts with dark mottling. They have a distinctive, strong, hooked bill and tube-shaped nostrils on the top of the bill.

Southern giant petrels are opportunistic feeders, eating a wide range of foods, including carrion, fish, squid, krill, and other seabirds. They are known to follow ships to scavenge waste and refuse. They breed in loose colonies, laying a single egg in a rudimentary nest on the ground. The breeding season starts in October, with chicks fledging by March. They are powerful fliers, using dynamic soaring and gliding to cover vast distances over the ocean.