CAPE PETREL
CAPE PETREL (Daption capense) – (See images below)
The Cape Petrel is a very common seabird of the Antarctic Ocean and its wing span is around three feet. Its main food is made of crustaceans. Those birds were photographed during the seabird expedition off Kaikoura Peninsula on the South Island.
NOTES: Petrels are part of an order of birds that includes seabirds with a ‘tubenose’ bill. This highly specialized bill is made of plates and the nostrils are inside one of them in the shape of a ‘tube’. These birds drink seawater, and they have glands in their bill to extract the salt from the water. Their nostrils also have a self-defensive feature – when threatened they can spit out a foul-smelling oil from that organ.
BIRD WATCHING TOURS OFF KAIKOURA PENINSULA
There are government-approved (Department of Conservation) tours available at the Kaikoura Peninsula, South Island, that allow birders to observe seabirds up close that would otherwise be unaccessible. The birds are attracted by fish liver baits thrown from the tour boat. The photos and video below were taken from such a tour back in February 2013.
There was some squabbling over the fish livers among the large birds such as the wandering albatrosses and southern giant petrels, while the smaller species such as the Cape petrels were staying at a safe distance.
The Cape Petrel is a very common seabird of the Antarctic Ocean and its wing span is around three feet. Its main food is made of crustaceans. Those birds were photographed during the seabird expedition off Kaikoura Peninsula on the South Island.
NOTES: Petrels are part of an order of birds that includes seabirds with a ‘tubenose’ bill. This highly specialized bill is made of plates and the nostrils are inside one of them in the shape of a ‘tube’. These birds drink seawater, and they have glands in their bill to extract the salt from the water. Their nostrils also have a self-defensive feature – when threatened they can spit out a foul-smelling oil from that organ.
BIRD WATCHING TOURS OFF KAIKOURA PENINSULA
There are government-approved (Department of Conservation) tours available at the Kaikoura Peninsula, South Island, that allow birders to observe seabirds up close that would otherwise be unaccessible. The birds are attracted by fish liver baits thrown from the tour boat. The photos and video below were taken from such a tour back in February 2013.
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| Cape petrel off Kaikoura, NZ |
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| Cape petrels and Southern giant petrels, NZ |