Great Shearwater vs Large Saint Helena Petrel

Ardenna gravis compared with Pterodroma rupinarum

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Great Shearwater Large Saint Helena Petrel
Scientific Name Ardenna gravis Pterodroma rupinarum
Order Procellariiformes Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae Procellariidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Extinct
Length
Wingspan 63.6 cm (25.0 in)
Weight 832.5 g (29.37 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1 --
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Great Shearwater only

Large Saint Helena Petrel only

None

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Great Shearwater

Extinct

Large Saint Helena 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.

Large Saint Helena Petrel

Extinct; known only from subfossil bones found on St. Helena. Medium-large petrel that went extinct within the last few centuries, likely due to human settlement, habitat destruction, and introduced predators. Related to living Pterodroma species; part of the endemic St. Helena avifauna.

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