# Snow Petrel (Pagodroma nivea)

- Web page: https://www.funwildfacts.com/norden/bird/snow-petrel
- Published: 2026-02-24
- Last updated: 2026-02-26

## Overview

The Snow Petrel is one of Antarctica's most distinctive birds, clothed entirely in dazzling white plumage that makes it instantly recognizable against the dark ocean or grey polar skies. It has short black legs, a small black bill, and dark eyes that create a striking contrast with its white body. This species is superbly adapted to some of the harshest conditions on Earth, nesting on rocky peaks and cliff faces deep within the Antarctic continent, sometimes hundreds of kilometers from the sea. It feeds primarily on fish, krill, and squid, which it snatches from the ocean surface in graceful swooping flight. The Snow Petrel is also famous for its defense mechanism of projectile vomiting a foul-smelling stomach oil that can mat and damage the plumage of would-be predators.

## Quick facts

- Weight: 0.27–0.37 kg
- Length: 30–33 cm
- Wingspan: 75–79 cm
- Lifespan: 15–20 yrs
- Diet: Piscivore
- Conservation Status: Least Concern

## Habitat

The Snow Petrel breeds on exposed rocky nunataks and cliff ledges in the Antarctic interior, often far inland from the coast. Outside the breeding season it ranges across the Southern Ocean, typically staying close to the pack ice edge.

- Ocean
- ice
- pack_ice
- Coast

## Seasonal Behavior

Breeding begins in November when birds return to their rocky nest sites and lay a single egg, with chicks fledging by late February or March. During the austral winter, Snow Petrels disperse across the open Southern Ocean, generally remaining within or near the pack ice zone.

## Breeding

- Incubation: 41 days
- Offspring: 1–1 

## Behavior & Ecology

- Activity Pattern: Diurnal
- Social Behavior: Snow Petrels are colonial breeders, gathering in groups on rocky ledges and cliff faces during the nesting season. Outside the breeding season they are largely solitary at sea, though loose aggregations may form at productive feeding areas.
- Migration: Migratory
- Population: The global population is estimated at between 4 and 8 million individuals, making the Snow Petrel one of the more numerous Antarctic seabirds.

## Did you know?

- The Snow Petrel can nest up to 440 kilometers inland from the coast, making it one of the deepest-penetrating land birds on the Antarctic continent.
- As a defense against predators, Snow Petrels projectile vomit a pungent stomach oil that can mat and destroy the waterproofing of an attacker's feathers.
- The scientific name Pagodroma nivea roughly translates to 'snow runner' in Latin, a fitting description for this all-white polar bird.
- Snow Petrels are highly faithful to both their mates and nest sites, returning to the same rocky crevice and reuniting with the same partner year after year.

## Taxonomy

- Kingdom: Animalia
- Class: Aves
- Order: Procellariiformes
- Family: Procellariidae
- Species: Pagodroma nivea

## Image

- URL: https://images.djurfakta.com/animals/snow-petrel/1.jpg
- Photo: Brocken Inaglory
- License: CC BY-SA 4.0

## Other languages

- sv: https://www.djurfakta.com/norden/bird/snostormfagel
- da: https://www.dyrefakta.com/da/norden/bird/snostormfagel
- no: https://www.dyrefakta.com/norden/bird/snostormfagel