Feeding Behavior

Forages mostly by plunging into water from flight or diving from surface, and swimming short distance underwater with wings spread; also seizes items while swimming on surface. May follow boats for scraps or offal.

Eggs

One. White. Both sexes probably incubate; incubation period not known. Young: Probably fed by both parents during nocturnal visits; age at first flight not known. Young depart nesting islands in April and May.

Young

Probably fed by both parents during nocturnal visits; age at first flight not known. Young depart nesting islands in April and May.

Diet

Includes fish and squid. Diet not well known; in addition to fish and squid, probably eats various crustaceans.

Nesting

Breeding behavior not well known. Nests in colonies on islands far off coast of Chile. Active at colonies mostly at dusk and at night. Adults gather near colonies in September; by October, some two months before eggs are laid, pairs may be resting together in burrows. Mated pairs may call softly in duet, preen each other's head and neck. Nest: Site is in burrow underground, often more than four feet long. Nest chamber may have sparse lining. Most eggs probably laid in early December.