Snow Petrel vs Atlantic Petrel

Pagodroma nivea compared with Pterodroma incerta

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Snow Petrel Atlantic Petrel
Scientific Name Pagodroma nivea Pterodroma incerta
Order Procellariiformes Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae Procellariidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Endangered
Length
Wingspan 49.5 cm (19.5 in) 63.6 cm (25.0 in)
Weight 386.0 g (13.62 oz) 515.0 g (18.17 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1 1
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Snow Petrel only

None

Atlantic Petrel only

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Snow Petrel

Endangered

Atlantic Petrel

About These Birds

Snow Petrel

30–35 cm, wingspan 75–95 cm. Entirely snow-white plumage; black bill, eyes, and feet. Nests in rock crevices deep in Antarctica, among the southernmost breeding birds on Earth. Feeds on krill and fish under pack ice. Highly territorial at nest; secretes stomach oil as defence.

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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