Feeding Behavior

Food is taken at or just below surface of water. Forages by dipping to surface in flight, plunging into water from a few feet above surface, swimming with head submerged, sometimes up-ending with head down and tail up. Rarely dives underwater. May feed at night.

Eggs

One. White. Incubation is by both sexes, roughly 51 days. Young: Both parents feed young, by regurgitation. Period from hatching to departure from nest probably about 100 days.

Young

Both parents feed young, by regurgitation. Period from hatching to departure from nest probably about 100 days.

Diet

Crustaceans, fish, squid. Diet not well known. Near breeding grounds may feed mostly on euphausiid shrimp and other crustaceans. Off California, may eat mostly small fish and squid.

Nesting

Breeds on Poor Knights Islands off North Island, New Zealand. Adults arrive there in September, most eggs laid in late November, young depart in May. Breeds in dense colonies. Adults noisy around colonies at night, may climb up into trees to take flight more easily. Nest: Site is in burrow under tree roots or rocks, or in cave or rock crevice. Both sexes help dig burrow. Nest chamber is lined with leaves, twigs, pebbles. Where birds nest in Maori burial caves, may use human bones as nest material.