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25. White-Headed Petrel
(Pterodroma lessoni)
Plate 11

Field Characters: 99/43. A fairly large white-bodied petrel with dark underwings and conspicuous black eye-patch. Head and neck white; mantle, rump and tail pale grey. A black open ‘ M ’ marking across the dark grey upperwings is clearly discernible at close range. Underbody, including undertail coverts, white. Underwing conspicuously dark.

Bill short, stout and black. Feet fleshy pink with dark outer edges.

Differs from Grey Petrel (23) by its smaller size and conspicuous white head.

Flight in the typical gadfly petrel manner with swooping and gliding in wide arcs. A solitary species, not given to following ships. Common in New Zealand and Australian subantarctic waters and ranges north during winter.

Breeds locally on Antipodes, Auckland and Macquarie Islands during summer.