Wildlife
Snow petrels frequent Antarctica and the surrounding seas. They feeds out at sea, but breed on the coast and spend the winter on the pack ice. They've even been spotted at the South Pole.
Scientific name: Pagodroma nivea
Rank: Species
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Southern exposure
Antarctica's snow petrels breed farther south than any other bird.
Antarctica's snow petrels breed farther south than any other bird.
Antarctic nunataks
The polar oases that are home to the most southerly bird colonies on the planet.
The south polar skuas' hunting strategy had never been filmed before - with good reason. The nesting sites of the petrel lie 300km inland from the edge of the ice, high up in the rarely visited nunataks. To reach them the crew flew in from Cape Town on a Norwegian Hercules, landing on a blue ice runway and wearing spiked soles just to get off the plane safely.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The Snow petrel can be found in a number of locations including: Antarctica. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Snow petrel distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Year assessed: 2009
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The Snow Petrel is the only member of the genus Pagodroma. It is one of only three birds that breed exclusively in Antarctica and has been seen at the South Pole. It has the most southerly breeding distribution of any bird.[citation needed]
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Predation defence
Carnivorous
Colonial
Courtship display
Adapted to flying
Acoustic communication
Monogamous
Moulting
Egg layer
Parental investment
Predator
Cold tolerant
Visual communication