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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