Pterodroma macroptera

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Bibliography

View Printer Friendly

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	PROCELLARIIFORMES	PROCELLARIIDAE

Scientific Name:

Pterodroma macroptera

Species Authority:

(Smith, 1840)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Great-winged Petrel
French	–	Pétrel noir

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The Great-winged Petrel breeds in the Southern Hemisphere between 30 and 50 degrees south with colonies on Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island (St Helena to UK), the Crozet Islands and Kerguelen Islands (French Southern Territories) the Prince Edward Islands (South Africa), and on the coasts of southern Australia and northern New Zealand. Outside the breeding season it dispereses widely in subtropical parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, mainly between 25 and 50 degrees south, though some birds will stray into the Antarctic zone¹.
Countries:	Native: Australia; French Southern Territories (the); Mozambique; Namibia; New Zealand; Saint Helena; South Africa; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Vagrant: Antarctica; Argentina; Brazil; Chile; Falkland Islands (Malvinas); Fiji; United States Present - origin uncertain: Bouvet Island; Heard Island and McDonald Islands; Norfolk Island
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Brooke (2004) estimated the global population to exceed 1,500,000 individuals.

Population:

Brooke (2004) estimated the global population to exceed 1,500,000 individuals.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This marine species is higly pelagic and has a widespread but sparse distribution at sea. It feeds mostly on squid, with some fish and crustaceans, most of which it obtains by dipping and surface-seizing. It feeds mainly at night and may locate some cephalopods by their bioluminescence. It can occasionally be seen following cetaceans and will associate with other Procellariiformes. Breeding occurs in winter, starting in April, nesting being either solitary or in small colonies on oceanic islands on ridges, slopes or flat ground. Breeding usually occurs below 400 m, but has been recorded as high as 1400 m on Tristan de Cunha. It nests in burrows or above ground in rock crevices, among tree roots or under scrub¹.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

This marine species is higly pelagic and has a widespread but sparse distribution at sea. It feeds mostly on squid, with some fish and crustaceans, most of which it obtains by dipping and surface-seizing. It feeds mainly at night and may locate some cephalopods by their bioluminescence. It can occasionally be seen following cetaceans and will associate with other Procellariiformes. Breeding occurs in winter, starting in April, nesting being either solitary or in small colonies on oceanic islands on ridges, slopes or flat ground. Breeding usually occurs below 400 m, but has been recorded as high as 1400 m on Tristan de Cunha. It nests in burrows or above ground in rock crevices, among tree roots or under scrub¹.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Marine

Bibliography [top]

	del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A.; Sargatal, J. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A.; Sargatal, J. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Pterodroma macroptera. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2012.
Disclaimer:	To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
Feedback:	If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided