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Bird guideBroad-billed Prion

The largest of the six prion species, with an exceptionally wide bill that gives the head a chunky appearance.

Spot this speciesRead on Wikipedia
⚠️Not listed
🍃Indigenous: Long-Billed Prion, Blue Dove Petrel, Ice-Bird, Whale-Bird, Broad-Billed Dove Petrel, Dove Petrel

At a glance

FamilyShearwaters and Petrels
SizeMedium
RarityRare
HabitatThis species is found throughout oceans and coastal areas in the Southern Hemisphere .
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from June to July.

Sounds

Sound sample
0:000:00
Recorded by Jenna Hoverd/David Boyle

Range map

Range map

35approx hotspots
101approx records
3states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Can be seen around breeding colonies on the Chatham Islands, in southern New Zealand, and in the South Atlantic Ocean. The wide bill distinguishes this species from other prions apart from Salvin’s and MacGillivray's, which are smaller in overall size and have a narrower bill than the Broad-billed Prion. However this can be hard to see at sea, and identification of prions is often impossible without a good view or photograph.

Behavior

Occurs in dispersed flocks at sea, where it catches prey items either sitting on the water or skimming the surface for zooplankton.

Gallery

Regional timing

Queensland
Peak: June2 records
New South Wales
Peak: June to July12 records
Tasmania
Peak: February4 records
Victoria
Peak: May3 records
Western Australia
Peak: July2 records

Commonly confused with

Mottled PetrelPterodroma inexpectataSlightly larger and heavier-bodied than Black-winged, Bonin, and Cook’s Petrels.→Blue PetrelHalobaena caeruleaSometimes accompanies ships, especially near breeding islands and with groups of similar-sized and superficially similar prions. Blue Petrel told from all prion species by dark cap, half collar, and bold white tail tip. Also note differences in flight pattern; often a bit stronger and banks higher in strong winds.→Pintado PetrelDaption capenseA “professional” ship follower in the Southern Ocean, often in groups that circle a vessel for hours. Extent of white spotting on upperparts rather variable, but no other petrel has this white-spattered or “painted” pattern; pintado means painted in Spanish and is also an anagram of the genus name, Daption.→
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