Kōrero: Petrels

Diving petrels and white-faced storm petrel

Diving petrels and white-faced storm petrel

Diving petrels (pictured in the water while a white-faced storm petrel hovers above) are chunky little birds. Their wings, too short for gliding, beat so fast they are a blur. Flying amongst wave-tops, diving petrels continue into a wave and come out the other side at the same speed, still flying. To feed, they dive underwater, then swim about using their wings.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: A-374-090
Watercolour by Elaine Power

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Te tuhi tohutoro mō tēnei whārangi:

Kerry-Jayne Wilson, 'Petrels - Prions, gadfly, storm and diving petrels', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/artwork/8594/diving-petrels-and-white-faced-storm-petrel (accessed 29 March 2024)

He kōrero nā Kerry-Jayne Wilson, i tāngia i te 12 Jun 2006, reviewed & revised 17 Feb 2015