---
title: "The incubation period of the ACAP-listed Black Petrel"
---

# The incubation period of the ACAP-listed Black Petrel

*![Joanna Sims DabchickNZ Black Petrel](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/B/Black/Joanna_Sims_DabchickNZ_Black_Petrel.jpg)  
A Black Petrel near its burrow on Great Barrier Island, photograph by Joanna Sims*

 Elizabeth ‘Biz’ Bell (Blenheim, New Zealand) has determined the incubation period for 110 eggs of the ACAP-listed Black Petrel *Procellaria parkinsoni* as to be a mean of 56.5 days, with a range of 42 to 71 days, based on information collected over 12 breeding seasons.

 The information was collected as part of a long-term study of the [Vulnerable](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-petrel-procellaria-parkinsoni) petrel on [Great Barrier Island/Aotea](https://acap.aq/news/news-archive/2013-news-archive/acap-breeding-sites-no-24-great-barrier-aotea-and-little-barrier-hauturu-islands-new-zealand-only-breeding-sites-of-the-black-petrel), and has been published in the journal *[Notornis](https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/society-publications/current-quarterly-publications/)*.

 **Reference:**

 Bell, E. A. 2024. When one pair is enough: determining the incubation period for tākoketai | black petrels (*Procellaria parkinsoni*). *[Notornis 71: 57-58](https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Shortnote_Bell_712_57-58.pdf)*.

 *17 October 2024*