Other Names (World)
Magenta Petrel, Taiko, Chatham Island Taiko
Family
Procellariidae (Petrels, Shearwaters)
Size
39 - 42 cm
First Described (Guide)
(Giglioli & Salvadori, 1869)
Derivation
Pter-o'-drom'-a - Gk, pteron, wing; Gk, dromos, race, running: magentae - named after the first Italian man-of-war (H.I.M S. Magenta) to circumnavigate the Globe
Habitat
Marine, pelagic. Distribution poorly known, but records suggest preference for cooler waters.
Population
Estimated population is 120 - 150 (2010) and decreasing.
Status CR
Introduced species (particularly rats, pigs, cats, Weka, possums and stray dogs) take eggs, chicks and adults, or compete for, destroy or cause the desertion of burrows, flooding of burrows may also lower breeding success and loss of forest habitat from accidental fires, are the main threats. Historically, the pastoralisation of Chatham Island probably caused the final destruction of the major colonies.
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Magenta Petrel (Pterodroma magentae) [XC654403]
by David Boyle from Sweetwater Conservation Covenant, Chatham Island, New Zealand (call, flight call)
Magenta Petrel (Pterodroma magentae) [XC331793]
by David Boyle from Sweetwater Conservation Covenant, Chatham Island, New Zealand (call, nocturnal flight call)
Nest
A pile of leaves and palm-frond fragments in a chamber at the end of a burrow.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous.
Subspecies
Sometimes considered subspecies of Phoenix Petrel (Pterodroma alba).
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
BirdLife International Species Factsheet