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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