Head to head
Soft-plumaged Petrel vs Antarctic Petrel
Soft-plumaged Petrel
VS Antarctic Petrel
Both petrels breed in large numbers across the Southern Hemisphere, but in dramatically different kinds of locations.
| Soft-plumaged Petrel | Antarctic Petrel | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pterodroma mollis | Thalassoica antarctica |
| Breeding range | Scattered islands from the tropics to the subantarctic | Deep within the Antarctic continent |
| Colony size | Not documented as enormous | Colonies of hundreds of thousands of pairs |
| Flight style | Sharp, zigzagging gadfly flight | Not documented as zigzagging |
| Plumage | Not distinctively patterned | A brown-and-white pattern |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Stable |
| Habitat | Ocean | Ocean, polar |
Soft-plumaged Petrel vs Antarctic Petrel: common questions
Which one breeds furthest into the Antarctic interior?
The Antarctic petrel breeds furthest inland, nesting on exposed rock outcrops hundreds of kilometres within the Antarctic continent, unlike the soft-plumaged petrel, which breeds on scattered islands instead.
Which one forms the largest colonies?
The Antarctic petrel forms far larger colonies, with some sites holding hundreds of thousands of breeding pairs, a scale not documented for the soft-plumaged petrel.
Which one has a distinctive zigzagging flight?
The soft-plumaged petrel flies this way, rising and diving steeply in the sharp, zigzagging pattern typical of gadfly petrels, a style not associated with the Antarctic petrel.