Birds
Antarctic Prion
Pachyptila desolata · also called dove prion
Filtering tiny planktonic crustaceans straight from the sea surface with comb-like structures lining its bill, an Antarctic prion gathers in flocks thousands strong, nesting only under cover of darkness to avoid the skuas that patrol its sub-Antarctic breeding islands by day.
Overview
The Antarctic prion, Pachyptila desolata, is a small, filter-feeding seabird native to ocean and polar habitat across sub-Antarctic islands and the Southern Ocean. Its specialised bill filtering structures, enormous feeding flocks, and nocturnal burrow-nesting habits make it one of the more ecologically specialised and behaviourally distinctive small seabirds found anywhere in the region.
A filter feeder among the seabirds
While most seabirds hunt individual prey items one at a time, the Antarctic prion has taken a completely different approach, filtering vast numbers of tiny planktonic crustaceans directly from the water using specialised comb-like structures more commonly associated with filter-feeding whales than birds.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread across suitable sub-Antarctic and Southern Ocean habitat, though some breeding islands face localised pressure from introduced predators.
Antarctic Prion: common questions
How does the Antarctic prion catch such tiny prey?
This species has fine, comb-like structures called lamellae lining the edges of its bill, used to filter small planktonic crustaceans directly from seawater as it swims or flies low over the surface.
How many Antarctic prions can gather together?
This species often feeds in extremely large flocks, sometimes numbering in the thousands, taking advantage of concentrated patches of planktonic prey found across the Southern Ocean.
Why does the Antarctic prion nest at night?
This species typically nests only at night in burrows dug into soil or among rocks, a behaviour that helps it avoid predatory skuas that would otherwise target adults and chicks during daylight hours.
What threatens the Antarctic prion on some breeding islands?
This species faces significant predation pressure from introduced rats and cats on some breeding islands, a threat not present during its natural, predator-free evolutionary history across the Southern Ocean.