Common Diving Petrel
Pelecanoides urinatrix
Number Of Mature
Individuals (Regional)
<5 000
Regional
Population Trend
Decreasing
2025
Regional Category
Least Concern
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CONTENTSOverview
Names
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IOC English Name: |
Common Diving Petrel |
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SA & IOC Scientific Name: |
Pelecanoides urinatrix |
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BirdLife International Taxonomy (scientific name): |
Pelecanoides urinatrix |
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Order: |
PROCELLARIIFORMES |
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Family: |
Procellarridae |
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Species name author: |
Gmelin 1789 |
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Afrikaans: |
Gewone Seeduiker |
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Sesotho (South Africa): |
Seqwelana sa molomonyenyane |
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Sesotho (Lesotho): |
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Siswati: |
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Zulu: |
umantantotshuzayo |
Current Assessment Status
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2025 Regional Category [Criteria] |
LC° |
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2024 Global Category [Criteria] |
LC (BirdLife International 2018) |
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Population size (Regional) |
Low thousands on Marion Island (Connan et al. 2022) |
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Population size (Global) |
Unknown (BirdLife International 2018) |
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Distribution size (EOO) (Regional) km2 |
c. 720 |
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Distribution size (EOO) (Global) km2 |
83 100 000 (BirdLife International 2018) |
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Distribution size (AOO) (Regional) km2 |
334 |
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Generation time |
7.1 (Bird et al. 2020) |
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Status change reason |
Error Correction |
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Migrant (in the region) |
No |
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Regional endemic |
No |
Historic Listing Information
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2000 Regional Status |
LC |
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2015 Regional Status |
NT [D2] |
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Status change reason (if applicable) |
Criteria revision |
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2015 Population size (Regional) |
Unknown |
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2015 Global Status |
LC |
Reason for Inclusion
Reason for Inclusion in the Assessment
The Common Diving Petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix was assessed as Near Threatened in the 2015 regional assessment (Madden and Wanless 2015).
Category Justification
Category Justification
The recovering regional population of Common Diving Petrel satisfies the criteria for regionally Vulnerable under D2 (population with a very restricted Area of Occupancy or restricted to a small number of locations (typically five or fewer) with breeding being confirmed over a 1 ha area on Marion Island since the species’ local extinction in the 1960’s (Connan et al. 2022). However, the global population is substantial, and a Regional Rescue Effect is expected so the assessment outcome is adjusted to Least Concern.
Population Justification
The global population is estimated to exceed 16 million individuals (Brooke 2004). The regional population of the Prince Edward Islands has experienced sharp declines, especially on Marion Island, where domestic cats Felis catus, introduced in 1948, resulted in high predation rates of burrowing petrels (van Aarde 1980). Common Diving Petrels on Marion Island were stated to be ‘widely distributed’ in 1951 (Rand 1954); however, previously monitored nests were not recorded in 1965 (van Zinderen Bakker Jr 1971) and Common Diving Petrels were thought to no longer breed on Marion Island by 1971 (Schramm 1986). Barnes and Huyser (1998), however, estimated the breeding population on Marion Island to be <25, whereas breeding is only suspected on Prince Edward Island. Recently, recolonisation of Common Diving Petrels has been described on Marion Island, with the breeding population estimated in the low thousands (Connan et al. 2022). Uncertainty around global and regional population estimates complicates application of the regional 5% filter. A cautionary approach was adopted, and the species was assessed.
Trend Justification
The global population is thought to be stable in the absence of any evidence of declines. The regional population trend is positive due to the removal of domestic cats Felis catus from Marion Island (Cooper et al. 1995, Dilley et al. 2016, Connan et al. 2022). The confidence in this regional trend estimate is high. The overall breeding success of a sub-colony of Common Diving Petrels on Marion Island was 55% in the 2019/20 breeding season with a fledging success of 90% (Connan et al. 2022).
Biology & Ecology
Taxonomy
At least six subspecies are widely accepted: the nominate urinatrix in northern New Zealand and southeast Australia; chathamensis in southern New Zealand and Chatham Island; dacunhae on the Tristan du Cunha group and Gough Island; coppingeri in southern Chile; and exsul in rest of Sub-Antarctic (Onley and Scofield 2007). Only exsul occurs off the Prince Edward Islands.
Identification
This is a medium-sized diving petrel which is slightly larger than the South Georgian Diving Petrel Pelecanoides georgicus, with shorter, more rounded wings. The legs may extend behind its relatively long tail. Its underparts are dull white, with a smudgy border between the dark cap and the whitish throat, along with a dusky collar extending to the upper breast. The underwing is dusky white, with a broad grey edge and tip. The upperparts are black with thin white fringes forming a broken line down its back. In fresh plumage, the sides of the face and ear coverts are dusky-grey, blending into the black cap. The bird has a black bill, sometimes with a blue base, and bluish legs and feet with a black line down the tarsi and black toes. Some individuals may lack the black line on the tarsus (Onley and Scofield 2007).
Distribution
The species has a circumpolar range, breeding on various islands in the Southern Ocean, in four populations, including islands south-east of New Zealand and Australia, southern Indian Ocean islands, Tristan da Cunha and Gough islands, and islands south-east of Chile, including the Falklands and South Georgia islands (Onley and Scofield 2007, Ryan et al. 2022). It is not proven that they breed at Bouvet. These birds are presumed to be sedentary, although large numbers have been reported far from land in the southern Indian Ocean in the early summer (Onley and Scofield 2007), and additional sightings in the south Atlantic Ocean. Tracking studies have shown that Common Diving Petrels may disperse over wide areas in the Southern Ocean during non-breeding periods, and the first specimen has also been observed on the South African coast (Ryan et al. 2022).
Ecology
The breeding season differs latitudinally among populations, breeding occurring between July and December, with a later onset in more southern colonies (Onley and Scofield 2007). Birds nest in burrows in deep soil, sand or scree, under the cover of vegetation, tussocks and moss, near cliff edges (Rand 1954, Weimerskirch et al. 1989, Brooke 2004). The generation length is estimated at 12.1 years (BirdLife International 2018). Common Diving Petrels are suspected to breed at the age of 2–3 years, having a 75% adult survival rate, and estimated age in the wild of 6.5 years (Brooke 2004). Common Diving Petrels are monogamous, and lay one egg, which is incubated for 53 to 55 days. Chicks are brooded for 10 to 15 days, and fledge after about 45 to 59 days (Brooke 2004). They are primarily coastal-neritic feeders, diving on average 33 meters for prey, and feed almost exclusively on small crustaceans; however small fish have been recorded in their diet (Payne and Prince 1979, Bocher et al. 2000).
Threats & Conservation
Threats
Predation by introduced cats on Marion Island drove the Common Diving Petrel to local extinction by the 1960s; however, this threat has been removed by eradicating all cats by 1991 (van Zinderen Bakker Jr 1971, Bester et al. 2002). Human disturbance by trampling remains a potential minor threat on Marion Island, although this is tightly controlled (Gremmen et al. 2003). It is unknown whether they are being attacked by the invasive house mice on Marion Island.
Conservation Measures Underway
No species-specific conservation actions are underway, although generic conservation measures are in place at the Prince Edward Islands. In addition, the Prince Edward Islands are listed as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, and as a Special Nature Reserve under the Environment Conservation Act (No 73 of 1989) and managed under the Prince Edward Islands Management Plan 1996. Furthermore, the Prince Edward Islands Marine Protected Area was proclaimed in 2013. After local extinction on Marion Island in the 1960s, adult Common Diving Petrels where again seen flying over the island since the late 1990s and the first burrows were recorded ashore in 2013 (Dilley et al. 2016). Research has since been conducted on this species’ natural recolonisation of the island, looking into breeding success and phenology during the 2019/2020 breeding season (Connan et al. 2022). This information is an essential contribution for monitoring and modelling population trends.
Conservation Measures Proposed
Monitoring of breeding colonies to determine if they are being attacked by mice. Nonetheless, the eradication of invasive house mice on Marion Island is currently being planned and will possibly be implemented in 2026.
Research Priorities and Questions
- Installation of artificial burrows at selected breeding areas (Fromant et al. 2020) which would aid collection of the data listed below.
- Information is required on population numbers and trends on Marion and Prince Edward Island; virtually nothing is known about the basic demography of this species there. This is particularly important on Prince Edward Island (for all burrowing species), where the absence of mice provides a good comparison for potential recovery of Marion Island populations.
- Knowledge of recruitment parameters, longevity, breeding frequency, sex-based differences in parental investment, age/sex structure, etc. would be useful for modelling population trends; currently all this information is data deficient. Movements of this species are unknown, including the geographical range of juveniles.
Contributors & References
Assessor/s
Stefan Schoombie
Reviewer/s
Bruce Dyer
References
Barnes KN, Huyser O. 1998. The Prince Edward Islands Important Bird Area. In: Barnes KN (ed), The Important Bird Areas of southern Africa. Johannesburg, South Africa: BirdLife South Africa. pp 269–272.
Bester MN, Bloomer JP, van Aarde RJ, Erasmus BH, van Rensburg PJJ, Skinner JD, Howell PG, Naude TW. 2002. A review of the successful eradication of feral cats from Subantarctic Marion Island, Southern Indian Ocean. South African Journal of Wildlife Research 32: 65– 73.
Bird JP, Martin R, Akçakaya HR, Gilroy J, Burfield IJ, Garnett ST, Symes A, Taylor J, Şekercioğlu ÇH, Butchart SH. 2020. Generation lengths of the world’s birds and their implications for extinction risk. Conservation Biology 34:1252–1261. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13486.
BirdLife International. 2018. Pelecanoides urinatrix. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22698300A132640347. Available: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22698300A132640347.en. [Accessed on 14 August 2023].
Bocher P, Cherel Y, Hobson KA. 2000. Complete trophic segregation between South Georgian and Common Diving petrels during breeding at Iles Kerguelen. Marine Ecology Progress Series 208: 249–264.
Brooke MD. 2004. Albatrosses and Petrels Across the World (Bird Families of the World). Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Connan M, Schoombie S, Schoombie J, Dilley B, Ryan PG. 2022. Natural recolonisation of sub-Antarctic Marion Island by Common Diving Petrels Pelecanoides urinatrix. Ostrich DOI: 10.2989/00306525.2022.2150706.
Cooper J, Marais A, Bloomer JP, Bester MN. 1995. A success story: breeding of burrowing petrels (Procellariidae) before and after the eradication of feral cats Felis catus at subantarctic Marion Island. Marine Ornithology 23: 33–37.
Dilley, BD, Schramm M, Ryan PG. 2016. Modest increases in densities of burrow-nesting petrels following the removal of cats (Felis catus) from Marion Island. Polar Biology 40: 625-6137. DOI: 10.1007/s00300-016-1985-z.
Fromant A, Miskelly CM, Arnould JPY, Bost CA. 2020 Artificial burrows as a tool for long-term studies of diving petrels. Polar Biology 43: 435–442. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02645-y.
Gremmen NJM, Smith VR, van Tongeren OFR. 2003. Impact of trampling on the vegetation of subantarctic Marion Island. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 35: 442–446.
Madden CF, Wanless RM. 2015. Common Diving Petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix. In: Taylor MR, Peacock F, Wanless RW (eds), The Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Johannesburg, South Africa: BirdLife South Africa. pp 340–341.
Onley D, Scofield P. 2007. Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World. Helm Field Guides: London.
Payne MR, Prince PA. 1979. Identification and breeding biology of the diving petrels Pelecanoides georgicus and P. urinatrix exsul at South Georgia. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 6: 299–318.
Rand RW. 1954. Notes on the birds of Marion Island. Ibis 96: 173–206.
Ryan PG, Ward VL, Miller SM. 2022. First record of a common diving petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix from continental Africa, and a summary of diving petrel distribution in the Southern Ocean. Marine Ornithology 50: 211–214. Available: http://www.marineornithology.org/article?rn=1491 [Accessed on 19 June 2023].
Schramm M. 1986. Burrow densities and nest site preferences of petrels (Procellariidae) at the Prince Edwards Islands. Polar Biology 6: 63–70.
van Aarde RJ. 1980. The diet and feeding behaviour of feral cats, Felis catus, at Marion Island. South African Journal of Wildlife Research 10: 123–128.
van Zinderen Bakker Jr EM. 1971. Comparative avian ecology. In: van Zinderen Bakker Sr EM, Winterbottom JM, Dyer RA (eds), Marion and Prince Edward Islands: Report on the South African Biological and Geographical Expedition 1965-1966. Cape Town, South Africa: AA Balkema. pp 161–172.
Weimerskirch H, Zotier R, Jouventin P. 1989. The avifauna of the Kerguelen Islands. Emu 89: 15–29.
Citation
Schoombie S 2025. Common Diving Petrel. In: Lee ATK, Rose S, Banda S, Bezeng SB, Maphalala MI, Maphisa DH, Smit-Robinson H (eds), The 2025 Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini. Johannesburg, South Africa: BirdLife South Africa. Available at: https://www.birdlife.org.za/red-list/common-diving-petrel/
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