SOUTHERN GIANT PETREL

SOUTHERN GIANT PETREL (Macronectes giganteus) – (See images below)
The southern giant petrel, at almost three feet long, is a formidable bird of prey. It goes by names such as ‘stink pot’, ‘sea vulture’, and ‘glutton’, which are illustrative of its status on the southern seas. It is the largest species of petrel. It is a scavenger, and is considered as aggressive. When given the opportunity, it will prey on albatross and penguin chicks.
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.
There is a striking scene in the movie The March of the Penguins (directed by Luc Jacquet) where a southern giant petrel goes after an orphaned penguin chick and other petrels are coming to help, and they are successful at eating the chick among the adult Emperor penguins in the colony, who seem totally powerless to rescue the doomed chick from its fate. Given its behavior and its position in the food chain, that petrel is not threatened.

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.

Southern giant petrel and Cape petrels Off Kaikoura Peninsula, NZ - by Denise Motard, Feb. 2013
Southern giant petrel and Cape petrels
Off Kaikoura Peninsula, NZ
Southern giant petrel, off Kaikoura Peninsula, NZ - by Denise Motard, Feb. 2013
Southern giant petrel, off Kaikoura, NZ
Southern giant petrel in flight off Kaikoura Peninsula, NZ - by Denise Motard
Southern giant petrel in flight, NZ
Southern giant petrel on the right, off Kaikoura Peninsula, NZ - by Denise Motard
Southern giant petrel on the right, NZ
Southern giant petrels, Cape petrels and  Wandering albatrosses fighting over fish livers off Kaikoura Peninsula, NZ - by Denise Motard
Southern giant petrels, Cape petrels and
Wandering albatrosses fighting over fish

Southern giant petrels and Wandering albatrosses fighting over fish livers off Kaikoura Peninsula, NZ - by Denise Motard
Southern giant petrels and Wandering
albatrosses fighting over fish livers
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.