Slender-billed Prion
Pachyptila belcheri
The Slender-billed Prion (Pachyptila belcheri) is a rare petrels, shearwaters, and diving petrel found in 10 countries, weighing about 145 g. The slender-billed prion or thin-billed prion, is a species of petrel, a seabird in the family Procellariidae.










About the Slender-billed Prion
The slender-billed prion or thin-billed prion, is a species of petrel, a seabird in the family Procellariidae. It is found in the southern oceans.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Like all prions, they are blue-grey above and white below with a dark "M" on their back to their wingtips. They have a white eyebrow and a dark line extending from below the eye almost to the neck. Their tail is wedge-shaped and grey with a black tip, their bill is blue-grey, and their feet are pale blue.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in South Africa, Peru, Réunion, Zimbabwe.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, July, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Slender-billed Prion?
- Like all prions, they are blue-grey above and white below with a dark "M" on their back to their wingtips. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Slender-billed Prion?
- The Slender-billed Prion is a medium sized bird weighing about 145 g.
- Where can you see a Slender-billed Prion?
- The Slender-billed Prion occurs in 10 countries, including the Falkland Islands, Chile, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.
- What birds look similar to a Slender-billed Prion?
- The Slender-billed Prion is most easily confused with the Antarctic Prion, the Broad-billed Prion and the Fulmar Prion.
- Is the Slender-billed Prion endangered?
- The Slender-billed Prion is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Slender-billed Prion for real
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