Great Shearwater vs South Georgia Diving-petrel

Ardenna gravis compared with Pelecanoides georgicus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Great Shearwater South Georgia Diving-petrel
Scientific Name Ardenna gravis Pelecanoides georgicus
Order Procellariiformes Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae Procellariidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length — —
Wingspan 63.6 cm (25.0 in) 22.6 cm (8.9 in)
Weight 832.5 g (29.37 oz) 129.0 g (4.55 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1 1
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Great Shearwater only

South Georgia Diving-petrel only

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Great Shearwater

Least Concern

South Georgia Diving-petrel

About These Birds

Great Shearwater

43–51 cm, wingspan 105–122 cm. Large; dark brown above with white underparts, dark cap, and distinctive scaly pattern on upperwing. Breeds Tristan da Cunha, Gough, and Falklands; migrates to North Atlantic. Feeds on fish and squid; spectacular post-breeding migration past UK coasts.

South Georgia Diving-petrel

20 cm. Tiny; dark above, white below; paler scapular edges. Breeds South Georgia, Kerguelen, and Heard Island. Extremely abundant; possibly billions of individuals in Southern Ocean. Feeds on euphausiids by diving; sympatric with Common Diving-petrel but smaller with narrower bill.

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