pachyptila

Pachyptila is a genus of seabirds in the family Procellariidae, commonly known as prions. They occur in the Southern Ocean and surrounding seas, spending much of the year at sea and breeding on subantarctic islands. The genus includes several species, all small to medium procellariids with long wings and relatively short tails; they possess the tubular nostrils characteristic of the Procellariiformes.

Diet and foraging: Pachyptila species feed primarily on zooplankton such as krill and small fish. Foraging is usually at the surface or by shallow diving, often in waters of high productivity, and they may follow fish schools or other foraging signals.

Breeding: Pachyptila species nest in colonies on remote islands, typically laying one egg per season. Both parents participate in incubation and chick rearing; chicks are downy and fledges after several weeks to months, depending on species and location.

Distribution and status: They breed on subantarctic and Antarctic islands and forage across the Southern Ocean. Conservation concerns for several species include predation by introduced mammals on nesting sites and bycatch in longline fisheries. Conservation measures, such as predator eradication and bycatch mitigation, have benefited some populations, though several species remain of concern.

Notable species include the blue prion (Pachyptila coerulea), fairy prion (P. turtur), slender-billed prion (P. belcheri), broad-billed prion (P. vittata), and Antarctic prion (P. desolata).