Great Shearwater vs White-necked Petrel

Ardenna gravis compared with Pterodroma cervicalis

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Great Shearwater White-necked Petrel
Scientific Name Ardenna gravis Pterodroma cervicalis
Order Procellariiformes Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae Procellariidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Vulnerable
Length — —
Wingspan 63.6 cm (25.0 in) 58.4 cm (23.0 in)
Weight 832.5 g (29.37 oz) 462.5 g (16.31 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1 1
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Great Shearwater only

White-necked Petrel only

None

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Great Shearwater

Vulnerable

White-necked 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.

White-necked Petrel

43 cm. Large gadfly petrel; dark above with white hindneck collar; white underparts with dark carpal bar. Breeds Kermadec and Phillip islands (Norfolk). Vulnerable; ranges in southwestern Pacific. Nocturnal at colonies; feeds on squid and fish.

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