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Story: Petrels

Diving petrels and white-faced storm petrel

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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.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: A-374-090

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.

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How to cite this page

Kerry-Jayne Wilson, Petrels – Prions, gadfly, storm and diving petrels, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/8594/diving-petrels-and-white-faced-storm-petrel (accessed 4 June 2026).

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