South Georgia diving-petrel

Description

The South Georgia diving petrel or Georgian diving-petrel (Pelecanoides georgicus) is one of four very similar small auk-like diving petrels of the southern oceans.It is native to the South Atlantic and islands of the southern Indian Ocean,New Zealand,and south-eastern Australia.The South Georgia diving petrel is a small,plump petrel,180 to 220 mm (7.1–8.7 in) in length and weighing around 90 to 150 g (3.2–5.3 oz).Its plumage is black above and dull white below,and it has a stubby black bill with pale blue edges.The wings have thin white strips.The face and neck can be more brown than black.The legs are blue with posterior black lines down the tarsi.Unless seen very close,it is almost indistinguishable from the common diving petrel;the common diving petrel has brown inner web primary feathers,whereas the South Georgia diving petrel has light inner web feathering.Common diving petrels have smaller and narrower bills than the South Georgia diving petrel,and there are also slight size differences.