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title: "First records of the Northern Giant Petrel ashore on Gough Island"
---

# First records of the Northern Giant Petrel ashore on Gough Island

Karen Bourgeois ([FitzPatrick Institute](http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za), University of Cape Town, South Africa) and colleagues report two Northern Giant Petrels *Macronectes halli* ashore on Gough Island in the South Atlantic, first records for the island.

 “Given that NGPs are regular non-breeding visitors to the archipelago’s inshore waters, the observation of NGPs ashore on Gough Island was expected; some individuals are likely to rest or even search for carrion while hunting nearby.  However, the NGP  observed in association with Gough’s SGP [Southern Giant Petrel *M. giganteu*s] colony, near active breeders and nests, is of considerable interest as it indicates the  possibility of hybridization in the future, if not already, between the two Giant Petrel [sic] species on this island.

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/N/Northern_Giant/Northern Giant Petrel Gough Sylvain Dromzee 4s.jpg) ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/N/Northern_Giant/Northern Giant Petrel Gough Sylvain Dromzee 1s.jpg)![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/N/Northern_Giant/Northern Giant Petrel Gough Sylvain Dromzee 2s.jpg)![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/N/Northern_Giant/Northern Giant Petrel Gough Sylvain Dromzee 3s.jpg)

 A Northern Giant Petrel ashore on Gough within a Southern Giant Petrel breeding colony

 Photographs by Sylvain Dromzée

  For an earlier report on the photographed bird [click here](http://www.acap.aq/index.php/en/news/news-archive/57-2012-news-archive/1166-first-record-of-a-northern-giant-petrel-ashore-on-gough-island).

 **Reference:**

 Bourgeois, K. Wilson, J.W. & Dromzée, S. 2013.  First records of the Northern Giant Petrel Macronectes halli ashore on Gough Island.  [*Marine Ornithology* 41: 135-136](http://marineornithology.org/PDF/41_2/41_2_135-136.pdf).

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 14 October 2013*