[3] According to HBW, this species is more closely related to the South Georgian and Peruvian diving petrels.

This short, compact petrel ranges from 19–22 cm (7.5–8.7 in) in length, and weighs anywhere between 5-6 oz (males are typically heavier than females).

The bill is mostly black, as well as the upward-facing nostrils (which are unique only to the diving petrels), the legs and feet are a light slate-blue to light blue with black-brownish webs, and black claws, and the eyes are a very dark brown color.

The Magellanic diving petrel breeds on vegetated slopes on coastal and nearshore islands, typically in fjords and channels, in southern Chile, Argentina, and Tierra del Fuego and forages in offshore and inshore waters in the area.

The birds usual dive from the surface, though are capable of dropping a few feet from the air into the ocean.

Like its congeners, P. magellani nests in burrows in dense colonies on coastal islands.

However, the species is not well-known, and extensive research is required to evaluate current population trends and new threats.