Broad-billed prion

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Broad-billed prion
Broad-billed Prion, Rangatira, Chatham Islands, New Zealand 1.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Procellariiformes
Family: Procellariidae
Genus: Pachyptila
Species:
P. vittata
Binomial name
Pachyptila vittata
(Forster, G, 1777)
Synonyms

Procellaria vittata (protonym)

The broad-billed prion (Pachyptila vittata) is a small pelagic seabird in the shearwater and petrel family, Procellariidae. It is the largest prion, with grey upperparts plumage, and white underparts. The sexes are alike. It ranges from the southeast Atlantic to New Zealand mainly near the Antarctic Convergence. In the south Atlantic it breeds on Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island; in the south Pacific it breeds on islands off the south coast of South Island, New Zealand and on the Chatham Islands. It has many other names that have been used such as blue-billed dove-petrel, broad-billed dove-petrel, long-billed prion, common prion, icebird, and whalebird. [2]

Contents

Taxonomy

The broad-billed prion was described in 1777 by the German naturalist Georg Forster in his book A Voyage Round the World . He had accompanied James Cook on Cook's second voyage to the Pacific. He included a brief description: "the blue petrel, so called from its having a blueish-grey colour, and a band of blackish feathers across the whole wing." Forster placed the broad-billed prion in the genus Procellaria that had been erected for the petrels by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 and coined the binomial name Procellaria vittata. [3] [4] The broad-billed prion is now placed in the genus Pachyptila that was introduced in 1811 by the German zoologist Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger. [5] [6] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek pakhus meaning "dense" or "thick" with ptilon meaning "feather" or "plumage". The specific epithet vittata is from the Latin vittatus meaning "banded". [7] The word "prion" comes from the Ancient Greek priōn meaning "a saw", which is in reference to the serrated edges of the bill. [8]

Members of the genus Pachyptila, together with the blue petrel, make up the prions. They in turn are members of the family Procellariidae, and the order Procellariiformes. The prions are small and typically eat just zooplankton; [2] however as a member of the Procellariiformes, they share certain identifying features. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns. Although the nostrils on the prion are on top of the upper bill. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between seven and nine horny plates. They produce a stomach oil made up of wax esters and triglycerides that is stored in the proventriculus. This can be sprayed out of their mouths as a defence against predators and as an energy rich food source for chicks and for the adults during their long flights. [9] Finally, they also have a salt gland that is situated above the nasal passage and helps desalinate their bodies, due to the high amount of ocean water that they imbibe. It excretes a high saline solution from their nose. [10]

Description

1888 illustration of the broad-billed prion's head and beak Prion vittatus, Gmelin. Broad-billed Dove-Petrel.jpg
1888 illustration of the broad-billed prion's head and beak

The broad-billed prion has the usual prion colours: blue-grey upperparts, white underparts, and the ever present dark "M" across its back and wings. It has a grey crown, a dark eye stripe, and a black-tipped tail. Its heavy bill is iron-grey but can appear blackish from a distance. [11] The head pattern is more distinct and the tail band is less extensive than that of the similar fairy prion. Its bill has the best developed lamellae of all the prions, allowing it to feed on tiny animals. [12] This is a large prion measuring 25 to 30 cm (9.8 to 11.8 in) long, with a wingspan of 57 to 66 cm (22 to 26 in) and weighing on average 160 to 235 g (5.6 to 8.3 oz). [2]

Distribution and habitat

This species is found throughout oceans and coastal areas in the Southern Hemisphere. Its colonies is found on Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha, South Island, Chatham Islands, on the subantarctic Antipodes Islands, and other islands off the coast of New Zealand. [2] [13]

Behaviour

They are social birds; however their courtship displays happen at night or in their burrows. When they need to defend their nests they are very aggressive with calling, posturing, and neck-biting. [2]

Feeding

They are gregarious, and eat crustaceans (copepods), squid, and fish. They utilize a technique called hydroplaning, where the bird flies with its bill in the water, skimming water in, and then filtering the food. They also surface-seize. This prion doesn't follow fishing boats regularly. [2]

Breeding

Breeding begins on the coastal slopes, lava fields, or cliffs of the breeding islands in July or August, as they lay their single egg in a burrow type nest. The clutch is a single white egg which is approximately 50.0 mm × 36.8 mm (1.97 in × 1.45 in). [11] Both parents incubate the egg for 50 days, and then spend another 50 days raising the chick. [2] The main predators are skuas, although on some islands, cats and rats have reduced this prion's numbers drastically. Colonies disperse from December onwards, although some adults remain in the vicinity of the breeding islands and may visit their burrows in winter. [11]

Conservation

This prion has an occurrence range of 10,500,000 km2 (4,100,000 sq mi) and an estimated population of 15 million. It is categorised as least concern by the IUCN. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prion (bird)</span> Group of birds

The prions or whalebirds are small petrels in the genera Pachyptila and Halobaena. They form one of the four groups within the Procellariidae along with the gadfly petrels, shearwaters and fulmarine petrels. The name comes from the Greek priōn, meaning "saw", a reference of the serrated edges of the birds' saw-like bill.

<i>Pachyptila</i> Genus of birds

Pachyptila is a genus of seabirds in the family Procellariidae and the order Procellariiformes. The members of this genus and the blue petrel form a sub-group called prions. They range throughout the southern hemisphere, often in the much cooler higher latitudes. Three species, the broad-billed prion, the Antarctic prion and the fairy prion, range into the subtropics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mollymawk</span> Genus of birds

The mollymawks are a group of medium-sized albatrosses that form the genus Thalassarche. The name has sometimes been used for the genus Phoebetria as well, but these are usually called sooty albatrosses. They are restricted to the Southern Hemisphere, where they are the most common of the albatrosses. They were long considered to be in the same genus as the great albatrosses, Diomedea, but a study of their mitochondrial DNA showed that they are a monophyletic taxon related to the sooty albatrosses, and they were placed in their own genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant petrel</span> Genus of birds

Giant petrels form a genus, Macronectes, from the family Procellariidae, which consists of two living and one extinct species. They are the largest birds in this family. Both extant species in the genus are native to the Southern Hemisphere. Giant petrels are extremely aggressive predators and scavengers, inspiring another common name, the stinker. Seamen and whalers also referred to the giant petrel as the molly-hawk, gong, glutton bird and nelly. They are the only member of their genus that is capable of walking on land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spectacled petrel</span> Species of bird

The spectacled petrel is a rare seabird that nests only on the high western plateau of Inaccessible Island in the South Atlantic Tristan da Cunha group. It is one of the largest petrels that nests in burrows. This species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the white-chinned petrel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Pacific albatross</span> Genus of birds

The North Pacific albatrosses are large seabirds from the genus Phoebastria in the albatross family. They are the most tropical of the albatrosses, with two species nesting in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, one on sub-tropical islands south of Japan, and one nesting on the equator.

<i>Procellaria</i> Genus of birds

Procellaria is a genus of Southern Ocean long-winged seabirds related to prions, and within the order Procellariiformes. The black petrel ranges in the Pacific Ocean, and as far north as Central America. The spectacled petrel is confined to the Atlantic Ocean, and the Westland petrel to the Pacific Ocean. The white-chinned and grey petrel range throughout the higher latitudes of the Southern Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern royal albatross</span> Species of bird

The northern royal albatross or toroa, is a large seabird in the albatross family. It was split from the closely related southern royal albatross as recently as 1998, though not all scientists support that conclusion and some consider both of them to be subspecies of the royal albatross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue petrel</span> Species of bird

The blue petrel is a small seabird in the shearwater and petrel family, Procellariidae. This small petrel is the only member of the genus Halobaena, but is closely allied to the prions. It is distributed across the Southern Ocean but breeds at a few island sites, all close to the Antarctic Convergence zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairy prion</span> Species of bird

The fairy prion is a small seabird with the standard prion plumage of blue-grey upperparts with a prominent dark "M" marking and white underneath. The sexes are alike. It is a small prion which frequents the low subantarctic and subtropic seas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-chinned petrel</span> Species of bird

The white-chinned petrel also known as the Cape hen and shoemaker, is a large shearwater in the family Procellariidae. It ranges around the Southern Ocean as far north as southern Australia, Peru and Namibia, and breeds colonially on scattered islands. The white-chinned petrel was formerly considered to be conspecific with the spectacled petrel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antarctic prion</span> Species of bird

The Antarctic prion also known as the dove prion, or totorore in Māori, is the largest of the prions, a genus of small petrels of the Southern Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slender-billed prion</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulmar prion</span> Species of bird

The fulmar prion is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae, found in the southern oceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvin's prion</span> Species of bird

Salvin's prion, also known as the medium-billed prion, is a species of seabird in the petrel family Procellariidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey petrel</span> Species of bird

The grey petrel, also called the brown petrel, pediunker or grey shearwater is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae, or petrel family. It is pelagic and occurs in the open seas of the Southern Hemisphere, mainly between 32°S and 58°S.

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2018). "Pachyptila vittata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T22698106A132625918. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22698106A132625918.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Maynard, B. J. (2003)
  3. ↑ Forster, Georg (1777). A Voyage Round the World, in His Britannic Majesty's Sloop, Resolution, Commanded by Capt. James Cook, During the Years 1772, 3, 4, and 5. Vol. 1. London: B. White, P. Elmsly, G. Robinson. pp. 91, 98.
  4. ↑ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 131.
  5. ↑ Illiger, Johann Karl Wilhelm (1811). Prodromus systematis mammalium et avium (in Latin). Berolini [Berlin]: Sumptibus C. Salfeld. p. 274.
  6. ↑ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "Petrels, albatrosses". IOC World Bird List Version 12.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  7. ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp.  288, 404. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  8. ↑ Gotch, A. T. (1995)
  9. ↑ Double, M. C. (2003)
  10. ↑ Ehrlich, Paul R. (1988)
  11. 1 2 3 Marchant, S.; Higgins, P.G., eds. (1990). "Pachyptila vittata Broad-billed Prion" (PDF). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Vol. 1: Ratites to ducks, Part A, Ratites to petrels. Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press. pp. 515–521. ISBN   978-0-19-553068-1.
  12. ↑ Masello, J. F.; Ryan, P. G.; Shepherd, L. D.; Quillfeldt, P.; Cherel, Y.; Tennyson, A. J.; Alderman, R.; Calderón, L.; Cole, T. L.; Cuthbert, R. J.; Dilley, B. J.; Massaro, M.; Miskelly, C. M.; Navarro, J.; Phillips, R. A.; Weimerskirch, H.; Moodley, Y. (2021). "Independent evolution of intermediate bill widths in a seabird clade". Molecular Genetics and Genomics. 297 (1): 183–198. doi:10.1007/s00438-021-01845-3. PMC   8803701 . PMID   34921614.
  13. ↑ Clements, James (2007)

Sources

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