Argentina, Australia, Chile, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), French Southern Territories (B), New Zealand (B), South Africa, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
Vagrant to Antarctica, Mauritius, Namibia.
Population
Estimated population is 5,000,000 (2010).
Food
Mainly plankton, crustaceans and squid procured from the surface of the sea.
Voice
A loud, deep, rapidly uttered clacking 'clop-clop-clop..', which can become a more rasping, machine-gun like rattle, during courtship. Also a piercing trill during mutual display and territorial advertising during the day. Silent at sea.
Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur) [XC293337]
by Dan Lane from Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, New Zealand (call)
Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur) [XC293338]
by Dan Lane from Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, New Zealand (call)
Nest
In a natural cavity in rocks, or under matted stems and roots of weeds. In simple pairs, in colonies.
Eggs (Guide)
1; white; rounded-oval; about 45 x 34 mm. Incubation: about 56 days; by both sexes.
Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in 44 - 55 days.
Subspecies
Interbreeds with 1000000253* forming a superspecies.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
turtur (Kuhl, 1820) - Breeds on New Zealand offshore islands from the Poor Knight Island to Foveaux Strait, Chatham Island, islands of the Bass Strait and Falkland Island.
subantarctica Oliver, 1955 - Breeds on Antipodes Island, Big South Cape, Snares Island and Maquarie Island.
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