Northern Giant Petrel

Macronectes halli Mathews, 1912

4.2 kgWeight

The northern giant petrel (Macronectes halli), also known as Hall's giant petrel, is a large, predatory seabird of the southern oceans.

Busiest months: November · Most records: New Zealand, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, Australia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Northern Giant Petrel has been recorded at 115 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 13 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Kaikoura – offshore – Albatross Encounter pelagicNew Zealand6,393 records
Eaglehawk Neck Pelagic TripAustralia2,020 records
Quintero – PelágicoChile710 records

More places

Valparaíso – PelágicoChile649 records
Cook Strait FerryNew Zealand343 records
Gold HarbourSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands330 records
Salisbury PlainSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands286 records
St Andrew's BaySouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands275 records
Taiaroa Head – Royal Albatross CentreNew Zealand256 records
Taiaroa Head/Harbour EntranceNew Zealand249 records

Countries and regions with the most records

New Zealand South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands Australia Chile Falkland Islands Antarctica Argentina French Southern Territories

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 northern giant petrel (Macronectes halli), also known as Hall's giant petrel, is a large, predatory seabird of the southern oceans. Its range overlaps broadly with the range of the related southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus), albeit slightly further to the north.

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

Questions

How big is the Northern Giant Petrel?

The Northern Giant Petrel weighs around 4.2 kg.

Where does the Northern Giant Petrel live?

Its breeding range: Southern Ocean: islands north of Antarctic Convergence from South Georgia to Macquarie (far southeast of Australia) and Stewart, Chatham (east of South Island), Antipodes (southeast of Stewart Island), and Auckland and Campbell islands (south of South Island; New Zealand). It is most often recorded in New Zealand, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands and Australia.

When is the best time to see the Northern Giant Petrel?

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

Is the Northern Giant Petrel endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Northern Giant Petrel as Least Concern.

What does the Northern Giant Petrel eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Northern Giant Petrel in?

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

At a glance

Weight: 4.2 kg
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Omnivore
Lifestyle: Varied
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 498 mm
Tail: 166 mm
Bill: 102 mm
Tarsus: 89 mm

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

Range

Southern Ocean: islands north of Antarctic Convergence from South Georgia to Macquarie (far southeast of Australia) and Stewart, Chatham (east of South Island), Antipodes (southeast of Stewart Island), and Auckland and Campbell islands (south of South Island; New Zealand)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2