White-chinned Petrel

Procellaria aequinoctialis Linnaeus, 1758

1.2 kgWeight

The white-chinned petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis) also known as the Cape hen and shoemaker, is a large petrel in the family Procellariidae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: New Zealand, Chile, Australia

Vulnerable

Where and when it's recorded

White-chinned Petrel has been recorded at 111 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 17 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Kaikoura – offshore – Albatross Encounter pelagicNew Zealand3,642 records
Eaglehawk Neck Pelagic TripAustralia1,507 records
Quintero – PelágicoChile851 records

More places

Valparaíso – PelágicoChile822 records
Cape PembrokeFalkland Islands487 records
Gold HarbourSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands249 records
Drake PassageAntarctica196 records
Table Mt. NP – Cape of Good HopeSouth Africa175 records
Cooper BaySouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands143 records
GrytvikenSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands143 records

Countries and regions with the most records

New Zealand Chile Australia South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands Falkland Islands South Africa Antarctica Argentina

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 white-chinned petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis) also known as the Cape hen and shoemaker, is a large petrel in the family Procellariidae. It ranges around the Southern Ocean as far north as southern Australia, Peru and Namibia, and breeds colonially on scattered islands. The white-chinned petrel was formerly considered to be conspecific with the spectacled petrel (Procellaria conspicillata).

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

Questions

How big is the White-chinned Petrel?

The White-chinned Petrel weighs around 1.2 kg.

Where does the White-chinned Petrel live?

Its breeding range: Southern Ocean: islets of southern temperate and subantarctic oceans north of Antarctic Convergence from Falkland Islands to southern outlying islands of New Zealand. It is most often recorded in New Zealand, Chile and Australia.

When is the best time to see the White-chinned Petrel?

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

Is the White-chinned Petrel endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the White-chinned Petrel as Vulnerable.

What does the White-chinned Petrel eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the White-chinned Petrel in?

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

At a glance

Weight: 1.2 kg
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: On the water surface
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Vulnerable

More measurements

Wing: 383 mm
Tail: 120 mm
Bill: 54 mm
Tarsus: 62 mm

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

Range

Southern Ocean: islets of southern temperate and subantarctic oceans north of Antarctic Convergence from Falkland Islands to southern outlying islands of New Zealand

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2