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Story: Petrels

Giant petrel fledgling

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Giant petrel fledgling

This northern giant petrel chick in the Auckland Islands has lost most of its down and will soon fledge, at the age of about 112 days. The wings of petrel chicks grow more rapidly in the later stages of development, and pre-fledglings exercise their wings to prepare for their first take-off.

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by Christina Troup

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How to cite this page

Kerry-Jayne Wilson, Petrels – Breeding, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/8579/giant-petrel-fledgling (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kerry-Jayne Wilson, published 2 March 2009.