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While searching on-line for new publications on ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels I came across an older one on rehabilitating giant petrels Macronectes spp. by Marg Healy of Australia's Phillip Island Nature Park that was presented at the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference held in Fremantle, Western Australia in 2007.  Thinking it is most probably little known (at least I have never come across it previously or seen it cited anywhere) I am for once breaking my usual practice of reporting only on recently-published papers on ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels.

The paper's abstract follows:

"There are two species of Giant-petrels - Northern Macronectes halli (listed as vulnerable under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999) and Southern Macronectes giganteus (listed as endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999). They are extremely similar and the majority of birds that come into care are fledged juveniles. Their plumage is similar when young, so the best way to identify the species is the colour of the tip of the bill. It is important to identify the species in care as their needs and preferences are different."

And another quote from the paper:

"Anyone who has rehabilitated a Giant-petrel will tell you what amazing birds they are and they quickly become a favourite.  They are cheeky and generally gentle and tend to be well-behaved and have a strong instinct for survival."

Click here for another paper on techniques for rehabilitating seabirds, including procellariiforms that was presented at the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference held in 2008.

Reference:

Healy, M. 2007.  Care of giant-petrels from rehabilitation to release.  National Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference Proceedings 2007, Fremantle, Australia.  4 pp.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 6 March 2011