Southern giant petrel

Macronectes giganteus

The Southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus) is a bird found in Chile, Argentina, Antarctica, Falkland Islands, Australia, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, and 1 more countries. Open southern oceans and the coasts of Antarctica. It eats small animals and insects and other small invertebrates. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

See the Southern giant petrel on the 3D globe →

Scientific name	Macronectes giganteus
Region	South America
Found in	Chile, Argentina, Antarctica, Falkland Islands, Australia, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, and 1 more countries

🏡 Where the Southern giant petrel lives

Open southern oceans and the coasts of Antarctica.

🍽️ What it eats

🐾 Small animals80%
🐛 Insects & bugs20%

A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).

Conservation status

LCNTVUENCREWEX

Least ConcernThere are plenty of these birds.

💡 A big seabird that glides for hours over the waves without flapping.

Questions about the Southern giant petrel

Where does the Southern giant petrel live?

The Southern giant petrel lives in Chile, Argentina, Antarctica, Falkland Islands, Australia, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, and 1 more countries. Open southern oceans and the coasts of Antarctica.

What does the Southern giant petrel eat?

small animals (about 80%), insects and other small invertebrates (about 20%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.

Is the Southern giant petrel endangered?

There are plenty of these birds. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.

More birds from South America

Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.