Procellariidae
Fulmars: Fulmarini
Genus Daption
One species with two subspecies.
Cape Pigeon or Pintado Petrel Daption capense
D. c. capense
D. c. australe
A medium sized petrel, though smaller than the true Fulmars. Subspecies australe is a little smaller and darker on the back.
Evolution and taxonomy
According to Penhallurick & Wink (2004) Daption was the first divergence from the primitive Fulmar stock, some 26.2 My ago. Analysis by other authors (Nunn & Stanley1998) suggest a later divergence from the branch that produced
Thalassoica and Pagodroma in an earlier stage. The two subspecies diverged rather recently and differ only slightly in size and colour pattern.
Distribution
D. c. capense, circumpolar through the Southern Ocean and breeds coastal Antarctica, S. Georgia, S. Sandwich, S. Orkney, Bouvet, S. Shetland, Crozet, Heard, Kerguelen Is.
D. c. australe is more from the New Zealand area: Snares Is., Campbell I., Chatham Is, Bounty I.
Behaviour
Cape Pigeons are best known from their habit of following ships and feeding on offal from fishery and other ship's waste. They fly in the typical fulmarine way: sailing and soaring on stiff wings, often in flocks. Their feeding strategy mainly consists of surface seizing, shallow plunging and filtering. Cape Pigeons are capable of diving, but are not very much adapted to it. They breed on rocky ground or on rocky cliffs prefering the shelter of overhanging rocks. Like most other fulmars they are poor walkers.
Osteology
Skull
The skull of Daption is typical fulmarine with a rounded cranium and fused lachrymals. The all black bill is rather wide in comparison with the other fulmarine petrels and is adapted to filtering with serrations of the ramphoteca.
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Cape Pigeon or Pintado Petrel
Daption capense capense, Ardery Island 1)
Culmen: 30.3 mm, 83.6 mm; unsexed adult |
Genus Thalassoica
Monotypic.
Antarctic Petrel Thalassoica antarctica,
A bit smaller than the Southern Fulmar F. glacialoides with a distinctive brown and white plumage.
Evolution and taxonomy
Thalassoica belongs to the early splits from the fulmarine lineage. According to Penhallurick & Wink (2004) the ancestors of
Pagodroma and Thalassoica seem to have diverged ca. 16 My ago. The splitting of this branch occurred about 13.2 My ago and produced
Pagodroma and Thalassoica. Nunn & Stanley (1998) suggest a third divergence from this branch that led to
Daption as well.
Distribution
Antarctic Petrels have a circumpolar distribution and breed on many Antarctic islands, on the coast of the Antarctic continent and even far inland on Antarctica. During the breeding season Antarctic Petrels rarely move outside the pack ice zone. After breeding they move further north but stay mostly south of the Antarctic convergence.
Behaviour
Antarctic Petrels feed mainly by surface seizing, surface plunging and dipping. Pursuit-plunging to depths of 1,5 m by using the wings for underwater propulsion has been recorded. This species is supposed to be the best diver among the fulmarines. Their flight is stiff winged and typical fulmarine. It breeds on ledges and makes no burrows. Like the other members of this group they are poor walkers.
Osteology
Skull
The Thalassoica skull is typical fulmarine with a rounded cranium and fused lachrymals. Its rather slender bill is dark brown with an olive tinge at the latericorns and ramicorns. The inside of the cutting edges of both yaws is yellowish. Juveniles have black bills.
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Antarctic Petrel Thalassoica antarctica, Ardery Island 1)
Culmen: 40.5 mm, total: 98.4 mm; unsexed adult |
Genus Pagodroma
Two species of dubious status:
Lesser Snow Petrel P. nivea (P. nivea minor)
Greater Snow Petrel P. confusa (P. nivea major)
Evolution and taxonomy
According to Penhallurick & Wink (2004) the ancestors of Pagodroma and
Thalassoica seem to have diverged ca. 16 My ago). The splitting of this branch occurred about 13.2 My ago and produced
Pagodroma and Thalassoica. Nunn & Stanley (1998) suggest a third divergence from this branch that led to
Daption as well.
There is still debate and confusion about the taxonomic status of the two forms:
nivea (or nivea minor) and confusa (or nivea major) : subspecies or true species. The two forms are supposed to have developed after being forced into two separated refugia during the last glaciation, but after recolonization the continent now hybridizing in mixed colonies in eastern Antarctica (Onley & Scofield 2007). They are to be distinguished by their size (and behaviour) and do not to overlap in measurements.
Distribution
P. nivea: Balleny I. P. confusa: Antatarctic conitent and many off shore islands and islands of the Antarctic Sea.
Behaviour
The flight of the snow petrel is erratic and buoyant and frequently changing direction with rapid shallow wingbeats and and infrequent glides. It maneuvres well among icebergs. Its feeding behaviour is mainly dipping, surface-seizing and surface diving. Like the other medium sized and smaller fulmars Snow Petrels are poor walkers and breed on ledges and under overhanging rocks or in small caves.
Osteology
Skull
The bill is black, with whitish 'spots' at the gape. The short nostrils point a little bit upwards
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| Snow Petrel Pagodroma confusa or P.
nivea major, Ardery Island 1) Culmen: 22.0 mm, total: 76.1 mm; unsexed
adult |
1) Courtesy of Jeroen Creuwels and Jan Andries van Franeker
2) Courtesy of Ruben Fijn and Jan Andries van Franeker
Literature
Brooke, M., 2004, Albatrosses and Petrels across the World, Oxford University Press, OxfordB
Onley, D & Scofield, P, 2007. Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World, Helm Field Guide, Christopher Helm, London
Penhallurick J. & Wink M., 2004, Analysis of the taxonomy and nomenclature of the Procellariiformes based om complete nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, Emu, 2004, 104, 125-147
Photos
Upper: Cape pigeon © Eric Preston
Middle and lower: Antarctic and Snow petrel
© J.A.van Franeker
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