Prions of The Petrel Station
Tutukaka, New Zealand
Prions may be small, but they are an important part of the offshore seabird story at The Petrel Station seabird tours — and in season can appear in astonishing numbers.
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PRION SPECIES SEEN
The Poor Knights Islands are the only place Fairy Prion breed in northern New Zealand, and in season The Petrel Station seabird tours can experience the spectacle of thousands of them in huge feeding frenzy workups.
Other prion species are much less frequently encountered, which adds an extra layer of interest for birders scanning through the flocks. Because prions can look very similar, this group also brings one of the more enjoyable identification challenges offshore — picking through the Fairy Prions in the hope of finding something different.
Below are the Prion species recorded on The Petrel Station seabird tours, along with when they are most likely to be seen — although, as with all pelagic birding, surprises can always occur outside the usual pattern.
JUMP TO SPECIES:
Fairy Prion • Antarctic Prion • Broad-billed Prion • Thin-billed Prion
Fairy Prion
SPECIALTY SEABIRD of The Petrel Station
When seen: April to mid January (occasionally seen at other times)
Occurrence: Abundant local breeder
Scientific name: Pachyptila turtur
Fairy Prions are one of the defining seabirds of The Petrel Station seabird tours and an important part of what makes spring and early summer offshore from Tutukaka so exciting.
Small, elegant, and beautifully marked, they are blue-grey above, with a dark “M” pattern across the upper wings and have a broad black tail tip.
The Poor Knights Islands hold one of the largest Fairy Prion breeding populations in New Zealand, which is one of the key reasons they occur here in such impressive numbers. In season, they can gather in the thousands in the huge feeding frenzy workups that develop offshore, often alongside Buller’s Shearwaters and sometimes Fluttering Shearwaters. Seeing waves of Fairy Prions feeding across the water is one of the great spectacles and a true specialty of The Petrel Station seabird tours.
Antarctic Prion
When seen: May to July
Occurrence: Occasional visitor
Scientific name: Pachyptila desolata
We encounter Antarctic Prions semi-regularly in autumn and early winter, and they are always an enjoyable species to work through when we are well offshore. Like most prions species, they can look very similar at first glance, but once you know what to look for, the differences start to stand out.
Compared with Fairy Prion, Antarctic Prions usually show less black on the tail tip, a more obvious dark neck marking, stronger facial patterning, and a bill that is generally broader and a bit bigger.
Broad-billed Prion
When seen: July (only encountered once)
Occurrence: Very uncommon visitor
Scientific name: Pachyptila vittata
Prions can be tricky at first because they all look broadly similar, but it’s pretty obvious with the Broad-billed Prion and their massive bill which is the standout feature, helped by a stronger neck tab and more obvious facial patterning.
This species breeds on islands in the southern New Zealand region and the Southern Ocean, but is only scarcely seen off mainland New Zealand, mainly in winter. So far, we have encountered it only once on The Petrel Station seabird tours.
Thin-billed Prion
When seen: July (only encountered once)
Occurrence: Very uncommon visitor
Scientific name: Pachyptila belcheri
Thin-billed Prion is another species that can initially look similar to Fairy Prion, but there’s a few helpful differences once you get your eye in. Compared with Fairy Prion, it tends to show much less black on the tail tip, a more obvious neck tab, a generally slimmer look, a strong white eyebrow, and a finer bill.
It does not breed in New Zealand and is a scarcely seen visitor to our waters, so any sighting offshore from Tutukaka is a real bonus.
This is just one group of the remarkable seabird diversity we’ve recorded on The Petrel Station seabird tours offshore from Tutukaka. Check out the other seabird groups we’ve recorded including Albatross, Petrels, Shearwaters, Storm Petrels, Skuas and Other Seabird Species.
You can also visit our Seasons page for an overview of when different species are most likely to be encountered, and explore our past Tour Reports for a fascinating insight into what can be seen offshore on a seabird tour.
We also recommend the very informative www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz
Want to experience these amazing seabirds for yourself? Join The Petrel Station seabird tours for an unforgettable day offshore.