The Fascinating Giant Petrel!
The giant petrel is a bird in the petrel family. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. The genus name Macronectes is from the Greek μακρός makrós "long" and νέκταρ néktar "nectar". The specific giganteus is Latin for "giant". The giant petrels are the largest members of the petrel family and have a wingspan of up to 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in). They are dark-colored birds with white underparts and have a hooked bill. Their diet consists mainly of carrion but they will also scavenge on dead fish and squid.
Giant petrel eating penguin
Giant petrels are interesting creatures; they are the only birds known to actively hunt and eat penguins. These massive birds can weigh up to 18 pounds and have a wingspan of nearly 10 feet. Their diet consists mostly of carrion but they will also eat small mammals reptiles and fish. On occasion, they have even been known to attack and eat small humans!
Giant petrel diet
Giant petrels are opportunistic feeders and will eat just about anything they can get their beaks on including carrion, fish, squid, crustaceans, and even other birds. While they will scavenge on land if the opportunity presents itself the vast majority of their diet is taken from the ocean. Giant petrels have been known to follow fishing boats and even whaling ships in order to take advantage of the carcasses that are thrown overboard.
Giant petrel predators
Giant petrels are large seabirds with a wingspan of up to 3.5 m (11.5 ft). They are related to albatrosses and have a similar appearance although they are not as graceful in flight. Giant petrels are found in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean. Their diet consists mainly of carrion but they will also eat live prey such as penguins seals and small cetaceans. Giant petrels are predators but they are also scavengers. They will follow ships and other predators in order to steal their kills.
Giant petrel’s physical description
The giant petrel is a seabird of the southern oceans. It has a long hooked beak and webbed feet and can grow to a length of over three feet. The giant petrel is an excellent swimmer and diver and can often be seen following ships in search of food. The giant petrel is mostly white with brownish wings and a tail. It is a scavenger and will eat just about anything it can find including carrion fish and invertebrates.
Giant petrel size
The giant petrel is a seabird of the southern oceans. The two species are the northern giant petrel which breeds on subantarctic islands and the southern giant petrel which breeds on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands. Both species are dark grey-brown above with whitish underparts. They have long hooked bills and webbed feet. Giant petrels are the largest members of the petrel family. They range in size from about 85 cm to 1 m in length with a wingspan of 2-3 m. Males are generally larger than females.
Giant petrel reproduction and development
Giant petrels are large seabirds that breed on remote islands in the southern hemisphere. They have a long and complex life cycle with both parents involved in raising their young. After a courtship lasting several months, the female giant petrel lays a single egg in a nest on the ground. Both parents take turns incubating the egg for about two months.
When the chick hatches it is covered in down and unable to feed itself. The parents take turns feeding the chick regurgitated food until it is old enough to fledge which takes about five months. Once the chick fledges it is independent and will not see its parents again until it is ready to mate and start the cycle anew.
Giant petrel lifespan
Giant petrels are long-lived birds with a maximum recorded lifespan of over 50 years. The average lifespan is probably closer to 20-30 years though this varies depending on the species. In general, males tend to live shorter lives than females possibly because they experience higher mortality rates during the breeding season. Giant petrels are exposed to a number of risks throughout their lives including predation disease and human disturbance. However, they are relatively resilient birds and have been known to recover from population declines.
Are petrels aggressive?
No petrels are not aggressive. In fact, they are generally very shy around humans and will go out of their way to avoid contact. This is likely due to the fact that these birds have been hunted for centuries for their meat and oil making them understandably wary of people. Today most petrel populations are stable or slowly increasing although some species remain at risk of extinction due to habitat loss and other threats.
