Broad-billed Prion

Pachyptila vittata (Forster, G, 1777)

196 gWeight

The broad-billed prion (Pachyptila vittata) is a small pelagic seabird in the shearwater and petrel family, Procellariidae.

Busiest months: December · Most records: New Zealand, Australia, St. Helena

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: December · Most records: New Zealand, Australia, St. Helena

Broad-billed Prion has been recorded at 18 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Foveaux StraitNew Zealand57 records
Eaglehawk Neck Pelagic TripAustralia52 records
Stewart Island – east coast pelagic watersNew Zealand26 records

More places

Stewart Island – Titi Islands PelagicNew Zealand14 records
Cook Strait FerryNew Zealand14 records
Gough Island general pelagic - CircumnavigationSt. Helena8 records
Nightingale IslandSt. Helena8 records
Poor Knights Shelf AreaNew Zealand4 records
Edinburgh of the Seven SeasSt. Helena4 records
Nearshore waters (0-2mi/3km) - Gaggins Point to Rockhopper PointSt. Helena3 records

Countries and regions with the most records

New Zealand Australia St. Helena Heard & McDonald Islands

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The broad-billed prion (Pachyptila vittata) is a small pelagic seabird in the shearwater and petrel family, Procellariidae. It is the largest prion, with grey upperparts plumage, and white underparts. The sexes are alike.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Broad-billed Prion?

The Broad-billed Prion weighs around 196 g.

Where does the Broad-billed Prion live?

Its breeding range: Southern Ocean: islets off South Island and outlying islands groups of New Zealand, and Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough (Tristan da Cunha group, south-central Atlantic Ocean). It is most often recorded in New Zealand, Australia and St. Helena.

When is the best time to see the Broad-billed Prion?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in December (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Broad-billed Prion endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Broad-billed Prion as Least Concern.

What does the Broad-billed Prion eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Broad-billed Prion in?

It belongs to the family Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels (Procellariidae), order Procellariiformes.

At a glance

Weight: 196 g
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Varied
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 195 mm
Tail: 94 mm
Bill: 38 mm
Tarsus: 33 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Southern Ocean: islets off South Island and outlying islands groups of New Zealand, and Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough (Tristan da Cunha group, south-central Atlantic Ocean)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2