Geographic Range
Common diving petrels are found in the waters of the Southern Ocean between 35 and
55 degrees South, between the area of the subtropical convergence to subantarctic
waters. They are found mostly around the islands they use for breeding. There are
6 recognized subspecies, each corresponding to a relatively sedentary population around
a set of breeding islands. Subspecies are: 1)
P. u. coppingeri
on offshore islands off southern Chile, 2)
P. u. berard
, which breeds on the Falkland Islands, 3)
P. u. dacunhae
, found on the Tristan da Cunha island group and Gough Island, 4)
P. u. chathamensis
, found on the Solander, Stewart, Snares, and Chatham islands, 5)
P. u. excsul
, found in the southern Indian ocean near South Georgia, Auckland, the Antipodes,
and Campbell Islands, and 6)
P. u. urinatrix
, on islands off the southern coast of Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.
- Biogeographic Regions
- oceanic islands
- indian ocean
- atlantic ocean
- pacific ocean
Habitat
Common diving petrels are found for much of the year (10 months) on or near oceanic
islands on which they breed. Islands are usually predator free, but non-native predators
have been introduced in some areas. Nesting colonies are found in vegetated slopes
of islands, occasionally on flat ground. Nesting burrows are generally found in soft
soil, sand, or scree. They feed mainly in nearshore areas around these islands, but
have also been observed in pelagic waters outside of the breeding season. Their habitat
and distribution are not well known during the 2 months of the year that they are
not at breeding colonies.
- Habitat Regions
- temperate
- polar
- saltwater or marine
- Aquatic Biomes
- coastal
Physical Description
Like other
diving petrels
, common diving petrels are smaller, stoutly built seabirds with robust bills, black
plumage dorsally, and white plumage on the chin, breast, and belly. The scapulars
have white tips, forming a faint stripe on the wing. The face and sides of the neck
are more brown than black and the black plumage fades gradually to the whiter plumage
of the ventral surfaces. The bill is black and the legs and feet are blue. These diving
petrels are 20 to 25 cm long and from 86 to 185 g. They are indistinguishable from
South Georgia diving petrels (
Pelecanoides georgicus
), except in the hand, where they may be distinguished by the brown inner webs of
their outer primary feathers (light colored in South Georgia diving petrels). They
are also distinguished by the dimensions and configuration of their bills and nostrils
from other
Pelecanoides
species. The 6 recognized subspecies differ slightly in body measurements and bill
size, but no comprehensive study has been conducted. Sexual dimorphism is not reported.
Like other
diving petrels
, they are able to store and transport prey items in a gular pouch, formed by a distensible
portion of skin in the throat. This characteristic is hinted at by their generic name
Pelecanoides
, referring to its similarity to the gular sac of pelicans (
Pelecanidae
).
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- sexes alike
Reproduction
Mating in diving petrels is not well-documented. Males and females begin to visit
nesting colonies well before egg-laying. Individuals occupy small nesting territories
and dig a burrow up to 1.5 m long in soft soil, sand, or scree, often with some vegetation
or rock helping to hide the burrow entrance. Individuals call to indicate that their
territory is inhabited and perhaps to advertise for a mate. Males and females help
to raise their single offspring together.
- Mating System
- monogamous
Common diving petrels nest for much of the year in large breeding colonies. Nests
are placed in burrows, rock crevices, or under the protection of thick vegetation.
Burrows are dug in soft substrates, usually with vegetation or rocks obscuring the
burrow entrance. Burrows are from 25 to 150 cm long. Some colonies have a density
of 1 nest per square meter. These birds congregate at breeding colonies about 5 months
before breeding commences. Breeding season varies latitudinally among populations.
Colonies are busy with birds in the pre-laying period. Females go to sea to feed before
returning to the colony to lay a single, white egg. Egg laying may occur in July in
the northernmost part of their range and as late as December in the southernmost portions
of their range. Egg laying can be extended, with egg laying occurring for 7 weeks
in the Crozet Islands. Eggs are incubated for 53 to 55 days, the young are brooded
for 10 to 15 days, and are then visited for feedings until they are about 35 days
old, at 115 to 125% of adult body weights. Fledging occurs at 45 to 59 days. Young
common diving petrels begin to visit breeding colonies in the year after their hatching
and will reproduce for the first time in their 2nd or 3rd year.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- oviparous
Common diving petrel parents both incubate, brood, and feed their young. Young hatch
with a covering of gray down. After the brooding period, parents visit their young
an average of 1.88 times per day to deliver regurgitated meals of around 26 g.
- Parental Investment
- altricial
-
pre-fertilization
- provisioning
-
protecting
- female
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- male
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- male
- female
-
protecting
- male
- female
-
provisioning
Lifespan/Longevity
Average annual survival of adults is estimated at 75%, leading to maximum age estimates
in the wild of about 6.5 years. Young have a high survival rate to fledging, of about
87%, but post-fleding mortality can be high.
Behavior
Common diving petrels are found most of the year on islands where they form dense
breeding colonies. They forage in the offshore and continental shelf regions around
their breeding islands. They spend the night in burrows during the breeding season
and seem to forage mainly during the day, although they also forage at night on vertically
migrating plankton. Outside of the breeding season they are seen alone or in small
rafts and generally don't associate with other bird species while foraging. They are
thought to be fairly sedentary, remaining more or less in the area of their breeding
colony year-round, although they may venture into the open ocean to forage outside
of the breeding season and some studies suggest seasonal movements. Like other
diving petrels
, these birds fly with characteristic fast wing beats close to the water. They seem
to molt all of their flight feathers at once, leaving them flightless for several
weeks. However, the loss of their primary feathers doesn't impact their ability to
dive and capture prey.
Home Range
Home range sizes are not reported.
Communication and Perception
Common diving petrels are noisy birds, often calling while flying, approaching or
leaving colonies, and while on the ground or on their nests. Males and females use
different calls. Males sound a bit like a rising "kooo-ah," whereas females give a
longer "kuaka-did-a-did" call.
- Communication Channels
- acoustic
Food Habits
Common diving petrels use their wings to propel them underwater and catch most of
their prey in underwater pursuit. They can dive to depths of 60 m. The legs are used
to steer. Their diet is mainly aquatic crustaceans, mainly copepods (
Copepoda
), amphipods (
Amphipoda
, especially
Hyperiella antarctica
and
Hyperoche medusarum
), euphasiid krill (
Euphausiidae
,
Euphasia superba
), and some isopods (
Isopoda
). South Georgia diving petrels (
Pelecanoides georgicus
) seem to specialize on euphasiids in their diet, whereas common diving petrels dive
deeper for prey, targeting primarily copepods and amphipods in the breeding season,
although they will take more euphasiids outside of the breeding season. Common diving
petrels forage mainly in the near shore areas around their breeding colonies.
- Primary Diet
-
carnivore
- eats non-insect arthropods
- Animal Foods
- aquatic crustaceans
Predation
Common diving petrels are preyed on by non-native predators in their breeding colonies,
such as domestic cats (
Felis catus
), ship rats (
Rattus rattus
), stoats (
Mustela erminea
), and least weasels (
Mustela nivalis
). Like other
diving petrels
, they seem to dive in response to threats rather than fly. They seem to escape much
predation by gulls and skuas by visiting their nesting colonies mainly at night, landing
briefly outside of their burrows and making a quick retreat to the safety of the burrow
upon arrival. If they are forced to walk any distance on land to their burrow, there
is a high probability that they will fall prey to larger birds.
- Anti-predator Adaptations
- cryptic
Ecosystem Roles
Common diving petrels are important predators of nearshore, deep water crustacean communities in the southern oceans. Little is known about their other ecosystem roles.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Common diving petrels are unique members of their southern ocean nearshore communities.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no adverse effects of common diving petrels on humans.
Conservation Status
Common diving petrels have a wide range and large population sizes, they are considered
"least concern" by the IUCN. Their extended residence time on breeding colonies makes
them particularly vulnerable to non-native predators, such as weasels. Populations
are estimated to number 14 million birds worldwide.
Other Comments
The species name
urinatrix
comes from the Latin "urinator," which means diver.
Diving petrels
are strikingly similar physically and ecologically to the northern hemisphere puffins,
murres, and auklets (
Alcidae
), especially little auks (
Alle alle
).
Additional Links
Contributors
Tanya Dewey (author), Animal Diversity Web.
- oceanic islands
-
islands that are not part of continental shelf areas, they are not, and have never been, connected to a continental land mass, most typically these are volcanic islands.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- Atlantic Ocean
-
the body of water between Africa, Europe, the southern ocean (above 60 degrees south latitude), and the western hemisphere. It is the second largest ocean in the world after the Pacific Ocean.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- Pacific Ocean
-
body of water between the southern ocean (above 60 degrees south latitude), Australia, Asia, and the western hemisphere. This is the world's largest ocean, covering about 28% of the world's surface.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- temperate
-
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
- polar
-
the regions of the earth that surround the north and south poles, from the north pole to 60 degrees north and from the south pole to 60 degrees south.
- saltwater or marine
-
mainly lives in oceans, seas, or other bodies of salt water.
- coastal
-
the nearshore aquatic habitats near a coast, or shoreline.
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- monogamous
-
Having one mate at a time.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- oviparous
-
reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- diurnal
-
- active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- social
-
associates with others of its species; forms social groups.
- colonial
-
used loosely to describe any group of organisms living together or in close proximity to each other - for example nesting shorebirds that live in large colonies. More specifically refers to a group of organisms in which members act as specialized subunits (a continuous, modular society) - as in clonal organisms.
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- cryptic
-
having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect.
- carnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats meat
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
References
Brooke, M. 2004. Albatrosses and petrels across the world . Oxford: Oxford University Press.
del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, J. Sargatal. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume I . Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.