Cape Petrel

The Cape Petrel, also widely known as the Pintado Petrel or Cape Pigeon, is one of the most visually striking tubenose seabirds, with a bold, checkered black-and-white pattern spread across its back, upperwings, and tail that makes it unmistakable even at a distance.

The head and neck are solid blackish-brown, contrasting with the mottled black-and-white body, and the underparts are mostly white. This piebald pattern has inspired both of its common names, "pintado" being Spanish and Portuguese for "painted."

Cape Petrels are highly gregarious and are among the most reliable seabirds to be seen following ships in the Southern Ocean, often approaching close to vessels in large, noisy, swirling flocks.

Key field marks

• Bold, checkered black-and-white pattern on the back, upperwings, and tail
• Solid blackish-brown head and neck
• White underparts, stocky build, and rapid, fluttering flight interspersed with glides

Similar species

• No other Southern Ocean seabird shares this distinctive checkered "pintado" pattern, making the Cape Petrel essentially unmistakable within its range.
• At a distance, confusion is unlikely with any other tubenose species due to the unique combination of pattern and stocky shape.

Cape Petrels breed on cliffs and rocky slopes across Antarctica, the Antarctic Peninsula, and numerous subantarctic islands, including South Georgia and the South Shetland Islands. Colonies are often located on steep, exposed rock faces.

Outside the breeding season, the species disperses widely across the Southern Ocean and can range as far north as the subtropics, frequently accompanying ships over vast stretches of open water.

Voice

Cape Petrels are noisy both at colonies and while following ships, giving harsh, cackling, and chattering calls, especially when competing for food scraps in flocks.

Feeding

They feed on krill, small fish, and squid, taken from the surface, and readily scavenge offal and discards from fishing and research vessels, often gathering in large, active flocks around ships.

Nesting and breeding

Pairs nest on bare rock ledges and cliff faces, laying a single egg directly on the rock or in a shallow scrape. Both parents share incubation and chick-feeding duties, and chicks can spit foul-smelling stomach oil in self-defense.