This bird was found in distress on the beach in May 2018. a Tītī wainui | Fairy prion:
Length: 25 cm; Weight: 120 g
Similar species: Fulmar prion
A small prion, blue-grey above and white below, with a blackish ‘M’ across the back from wingtip to wingtip, a black tip to the upper tail, and blue bill, legs and feet. In the hand, it has a relatively chunky bill lacking comb-like lamellae along the margins of the upper mandible, and a broader black tip to the upper tail and more ill-defined facial markings than the other prion species.
Fairy prions, along with other prion species, are often found storm-wrecked on beaches exposed to the open ocean, especially on the west coast of both main islands.
