Archive for the SEABIRDS Category

"Thalassarche eremita" The Chatham Albatross has gray-black plumage on the back, tail and upper sides of the wings, while the rump and underparts are white. The crown, face and throat are dark gray, contrasting with the sharp bill, which is bright yellow with a dark spot at the tipRead more →

"Daption capense" Cape Petrels are distinctively patterned black & white on their upper-parts, while their underparts are mostly white. The chin & throat are blackish and the tail has a blackish tip. The under wing is white with black margins and the bill, legs & feet are all black. The Cape Petrel isRead more →

"Sula leucogaster"  The Brown Booby is a large, gull-like seabird mostly dark brown with white under wing coverts, belly and vent. Their bill and feet are yellow. Sexes are similar. The word “booby” comes from the Spanish “bobo” meaning “stupid fellow” and was probably inspired by the bird’s clumsiness on land. Young Brown Boobies have a grayRead more →

"Pelecanus occidentalis" Brown Pelicans are set apart from its brethren by its dark, bulky body about 1.2 meters long. Their head is downy and white with a pale-yellow wash on the crown; their long bill is grayish and their back, rump & tail are streaked with gray and darkRead more →

"Sula nebouxii"  Blue-footed Boobies are famous for their link to the Charles Darwin expedition to the Galápagos Islands and their name. The word "booby" comes from the Spanish "bobo" meaning "stupid fellow" and was probably inspired by the bird's clumsiness on land. They are extremely vulnerable to human visitors because they doRead more →

"Larus marinus" The king of the Atlantic Ocean waterfront, the Black-backed Gull is the largest gull in the world, with a powerful build and a domineering attitude. They harry other birds to steal their food and even hunt adult birds such as Puffins. Adults are handsome withRead more →

"Megadyptes antipodes” The Yellow-eyed Penguin is only found in New Zealand and is one of the rarest of the penguins. They live & breed around the south and east coasts of the South Island, on Stewart island and in the sub-antarctic Auckland & Campbell islands. They areRead more →

"Eudyptes robustus" Snares-crested Penguins are crested penguins that reach between 55-70 centimeters (21.5-27.5 inches) in height and they weigh between 3-4 kilograms (6.5-8.8 pounds). They are often confused with Fiordland-crested Penguins, however their patch of skin at the base of their bills helps distinguish them from the Fiordlands. The word Penguin firstRead more →

"Eudyptes schlegeli" Royal Penguins are often confused with Macaroni Penguins, however they can easily be distinguished from the other crested penguins by their pale white or gray chins & faces. The bird's scientific name commemorates the German zoologist Hermann Schlegel. The word Penguin first appears in the 16th century as a synonymRead more →

"Eudyptes chrysocome"  Rockhopper Penguins are among the smallest of the world's penguins averaging 52 centimeters in length and 3 kilograms in weight. The word Penguin first appears in the 16th century as a synonym for the now extinct Great Auk. When European explorers discovered what are today known as Penguins in the Southern Hemisphere,Read more →