Birds
Magellanic Diving-petrel
Pelecanoides magellani · also called Magellanic diving petrel
Whirring its wings to fly underwater through the sheltered fjords and channels of southernmost South America, a Magellanic diving-petrel favours calmer coastal waters closer to shore than many of its diving-petrel relatives.
Overview
The Magellanic diving-petrel, Pelecanoides magellani, is a Least Concern seabird native to ocean and coastal habitat across the fjords and channels of southernmost Chile and Argentina. Its coastal, fjord-based breeding range, whirring underwater flight, and distinctive facial pattern make it one of the more geographically specialised diving-petrel species found anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere.
A diving-petrel that prefers sheltered water
While several related diving-petrel species breed on remote, wind-battered oceanic islands, the Magellanic diving-petrel instead makes its home among the calmer fjords and channels of southernmost South America, a notably more sheltered setting for a bird built to swim as much as fly.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and generally stable across its sheltered coastal breeding range in southernmost South America.
Magellanic Diving-petrel: common questions
Where does the Magellanic diving-petrel breed?
This species breeds along the fjords, channels, and coastlines of southernmost Chile and Argentina, including Tierra del Fuego, rather than on remote oceanic islands favoured by many related seabirds.
How does the Magellanic diving-petrel catch its food?
This species swims underwater using rapid, whirring wingbeats to pursue small crustaceans, bursting directly from the waves back into flight without pausing on the surface.
How does the Magellanic diving-petrel differ from other diving-petrels?
This species has a distinctive facial pattern that helps separate it from other diving-petrel species, useful for identification in areas where their ranges overlap along the South American coast.
Does the Magellanic diving-petrel range far out to sea?
No, this species tends to favour more sheltered coastal and fjord waters compared with some other diving-petrel species, which range more widely across open ocean.