Size: 140 cm (wings spread)
Weight: 980 to 1900 g
Distribution: continent and Antarctic islands
Reproduction areas on the archipelago: all the main islands.
Arrival: September.
Egg laying: November to January.
Hatching: December to January.
Departure of chicks: February to march.
Food: eggs and chick of Adelie penguins, but feeds also at sea (fish) and
out of human wastes.
Distribution at sea: Antarctic waters. Comes to Antarctica in winter, but
most stay near the sea-ice.
Particularity: it's the specie seen most inland (some have been seen at
Dome C). On the islands it occupies the same place than the birds of prey.
They are very opportunist.
Size: 2.2m of reach
Weight: 3.5 to 5 kg
Distribution: Antarctica and sub-antarctic islands.
Reproduction areas on the archipelago: Petrel island and Rostand island.
Arrival: August
Egg laying: October
Hatching: January
Departure of chicks: April
Food: predator at sea, follows the ships, often carrion eater on the land
(except in Antarctica).
Distribution at sea: from Antarctica to tropical seas.
Particularity: the biggest of the 95 species of petrel, and the longest
living one. A bird tagged in 1952 is still alive. They breed for the 1st
time around 10.
Size: 90 cm of reach
Weight: 360 to 550 g
Distribution: Antarctic and sub-antarctic islands.
Reproduction areas on the archipelago: all the main islands.
Arrival: October
Egg laying: November
Hatching: January
Departure of chicks: February
Food: squids and krill.
Distribution at sea: Antarctic to subtropical (winter season) seas.
Particularity: adults and chick make an oil from their food and they are
able to regurgitate it against predators, up to several meters away.
Size: 40 cm of reach
Weight: 34 g
Distribution: Antarctic and subantarctic
Reproduction areas on the archipelago: all the main islands
Arrival: November
Egg laying: December and January
Hatching: January and February
Departure of chicks: March
Food: organic wastes, small krill.
Distribution at sea: Antarctic to subtropical seas. Spends July-August in
arctic.
Particularity: although its small size, this specie lives an average 15
years. Each year it migrates a huge 40 000 km. They are very sensitive to
snowfalls that can block the access to the nest; the chicks can thus fast for a
month.
Size: 80 cm of reach
Weight: 200 to 300 g
Distribution: continent and Antarctic islands
Reproduction areas on the archipelago: all the main islands
Right: the all-white snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea), about the size of a pigeon too, nests under rocks and, like the Cap petrel above, defends its nest by actively throwing up on you. In that case the bird throws a special orange oil, stinking of fish and impossible to remove. I helped put tags on those birds, and after 3 showers I was still stinking like hell. The ornithologist just gave up washing altogether !
Arrival: September
Egg laying: November
Hatching: January
Departure of chicks: February
Food: fish and krill
Distribution at sea: stays near the ice
Particularity: very large size variation (x2), rare for a bird.
Nocturnal. Nests generally under rocks. .
Size: 127cm of reach
Weight: 740 to 1030 g
Distribution: continent and Antarctic islands
Reproduction areas on the archipelago: Petrel island
Arrival: October
Egg laying: December
Hatching: January
Departure of chicks: March
Food: squids and krill.
Distribution at sea: Antarctic and subantarctic seas.
Particularity: it's one of the only specie of petrel that nests on
cliffs. Its equivalent in the northern hemisphere, the Atlantic fulmar (that
looks very similar), is in full demographic expansion and has colonized French
coasts only 20 years ago.