WHITE-CHINNED PETREL (Procellaria aequinoctialis) – (See images below)
The white-chinned petrel is about 22 inches long, is grey with a white bill and a small white patch at the chin. Petrels have a different type of bill, with tube noses and plates, which can be seen on some photos of petrels. The white-chinned petrel population has been declining due to commercial fishing operations, as they can be found scavenging around fishing boats. This is a sea bird, so it is rarely seen on land, except when breeding.
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 below were taken from such a tour back in February 2013.
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| White-chinned petrel off Kaikoura, NZ |
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| White-chinned petrel close up, NZ |
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| White-chinned petrel, Kaikoura, NZ |
