Bird Guide

Black Petrel vs Westland Petrel

Black Petrel (Procellaria parkinsoni)

Black Petrel

Procellaria parkinsoni

Large702 gMarine

The plumage of the black petrel is all black, as are its legs and bill except for pale sections on the bill. It is a medium-sized petrel: males average about 720 g (25 oz), females around 680 g (24 oz). It has an overall length of 46 cm (18 in) and a wingspan averaging 115 cm (45 in).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: paloma · CC0
Westland Petrel (Procellaria westlandica)

Westland Petrel

Procellaria westlandica

Large1.2 kgMarine

The adult Westland petrel is a stocky bird, weighing around 1,100 grams (39 oz). It is entirely dark blackish-brown, with black legs and feet. Some individuals may have a few white feathers. The bill is pale yellow with a dark tip. Falla measured the female and male birds for his original description and pointed out that the male of the species measured slightly larger than the female. However the female specimen weighed slightly more than the male. It is one of the largest of the burrowing petrels.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Mark Jobling · Public domain

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black Petrel and Westland Petrel.