Blue Petrel vs Atlantic Petrel

Halobaena caerulea compared with Pterodroma incerta

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Blue Petrel Atlantic Petrel
Scientific Name Halobaena caerulea Pterodroma incerta
Order Procellariiformes Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae Procellariidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Endangered
Length
Wingspan 41.2 cm (16.2 in) 63.6 cm (25.0 in)
Weight 201.5 g (7.11 oz) 515.0 g (18.17 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1 1
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Blue Petrel only

None

Atlantic Petrel only

None

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Blue Petrel

Endangered

Atlantic Petrel

About These Birds

Blue Petrel

26–32 cm, wingspan 60–71 cm. Blue-grey above with distinctive white-tipped square tail; white below. Resembles prions but tail pattern diagnostic. Breeds subantarctic islands (South Georgia, Crozet, Kerguelen). Ranges widely in Southern Ocean; feeds on crustaceans and small fish.

Atlantic Petrel

43 cm, wingspan 104 cm. Large; dark brown above with pale belly and dusky breast-band creating hooded appearance. Breeds Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island; ranges into south Atlantic and Indian Ocean. Endangered; threatened by introduced predators and longline fisheries.

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