Other Names (World)
Broad-billed Prion, Blue Dove Petrel, Broad-billed Dove Petrel, Medium-billed Prion, Long-billed Prion, Lesser Broad-billed Prion, Whale-bird, Ice-bird
Argentina, Australia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Mozambique, New Zealand (B), Peru, South Africa, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, St Helena (B).
Breeds at various islands in the southern oceans, including around New Zealand, dispersing widely over the southern oceans. A generally uncommon, winter visitor to the southern coasts of Australia from Perth, WA in the west to about Sydney, NSW in the east, including Tasmania.
Broad-billed Prion (Pachyptila vittata) [XC654951]
by David Boyle from Rangatira South East Island, Chatham Islands, New Zealand (song)
Broad-billed Prion (Pachyptila vittata) [XC332474]
by Matt Slaymaker from Prion Cave, Gough Island, United Kingdom (call, song)
Breeding Season (Guide)
Does not breed in Australia. Breeds at various islands in the southern oceans, including around New Zealand (July - March).
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Nest
In a hollow at the end of a burrow, sparingly lined with leaves, grass and twigs, in soil, in a natural cavity in rocks, or under matted stems and roots of weeds. In dense colonies.
Eggs (Guide)
1; dull, white; oval; about 50 x 36 mm. Incubation: about 56 days; by both sexes. A single brood. No replacement laying.
Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 210 days.
Similar Species
Salvin's Prion (Pachyptila salvini) and Antarctic Prion (Pachyptila desolata) which are smaller in size, have a smaller, mostly bluish bill and usually white lores and longer supercillium, Slender-billed Prion (Pachyptila belcheri) which is smaller, with a more slender build, smaller head and much finer bluish bill and much longer, broader white supercillium and usually clean white lores, and Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur) and Fulmar Prion (Pachyptila crassirostris) which are much smaller and slender, have a much smaller and shorter bluish bill, paler forehead and crown which is uniform with the rest of the upperparts and lack a pronounced collar and have a broader tail-band.
References
See References.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet