Head to head
Chatham Petrel vs Magenta Petrel
Chatham Petrel
VS Magenta Petrel
Both petrels breed nowhere else on Earth but the remote Chatham Islands, yet their paths to rarity differ sharply.
| Chatham Petrel | Magenta Petrel | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pterodroma axillaris | Pterodroma magentae |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable | Critically Endangered |
| Population trend | Increasing | Increasing |
| Unique threat | Competition with prions for nest burrows | Predation pressure in forest nesting burrows |
| Historical fate | Never presumed extinct | Believed extinct for over a century |
| Nesting habitat | Burrows in forest soil | Burrows beneath forest cover |
| Rarity | Small, single-island population | One of the rarest seabirds on Earth |
| Habitat | Ocean, forest | Ocean, forest |
Chatham Petrel vs Magenta Petrel: common questions
Which petrel was believed extinct?
The magenta petrel was, believed extinct for well over a century before its rediscovery, while the Chatham petrel has always been known to survive, albeit in small numbers on a single island.
Which petrel competes with another seabird species for its nest?
The Chatham petrel does, competing with broad-billed prions for the same nesting burrows, a conflict the magenta petrel does not face in quite the same way.
Which petrel is rarer today?
The magenta petrel is rarer, classified as Critically Endangered with an extremely small population, compared with the Chatham petrel's larger, though still Vulnerable, population.