Fairy Prion
Pachyptila turtur
Silhouette: Alexandre Vong · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderProcellariiformes (Tubenoses)
- FamilyProcellariidae (Shearwaters and Petrels)
- GenusPachyptila (Prions)
- SpeciesPachyptila turtur (Fairy Prion)
About the Fairy Prion
The fairy prion (Pachyptila turtur) is a small seabird with the standard prion plumage of blue-grey upperparts with a prominent dark "M" marking and white underneath. The sexes are alike. It is a small prion which frequents the low subantarctic and subtropic seas.
The fairy prion was formally described in 1820 by the German naturalist Heinrich Kuhl under the binomial name Procellaria turtur. It is now placed with the other prions in the genus Pachyptila, introduced in 1811 by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek pakhus, meaning "dense" or "thick", with ptilon, meaning "feather" or "plumage". The specific epithet turtur is Latin for "turtle dove". The word prion comes from the Ancient Greek word priōn, meaning "a saw", which refers to the serrated edges of its bill.
The fairy prion is a member of the genus Pachyptila and of the subgenus Pseudoprion Coues, 1866. Along with the blue petrel, they make up the prions. They in turn are members of the family Procellariidae, and the order Procellariiformes. Prions are small and typically eat just zooplankton but, as members of the Procellariiformes, they share certain identifying features. They... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Fairy Prion in Rakiura National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Rakiura National Park
Broad-billed Prion
Pachyptila vittata
Antarctic Prion
Pachyptila desolata
Sooty Shearwater
Puffinus griseus
Antarctic Petrel
Thalassoica antarctica
Cape Petrel
Daption capense
Northern Giant Petrel
Macronectes halli
Mottled Petrel
Pterodroma inexpectata
Cook's Petrel
Pterodroma cookii
White-chinned Petrel
Procellaria aequinoctialis
Westland Petrel
Procellaria westlandica
Buller's Shearwater
Puffinus bulleri
Southern Giant Petrel
Macronectes giganteus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 6 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Fairy Prion in Rakiura National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Fairy Prion sighting in Rakiura National Park, based on 35 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Fairy Prion in Rakiura National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Fairy Prion in Rakiura National Park in our monthly data.