Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Tuatara: Volume 21, Issues 1 and 2 (New Zealand Albatrosses and Petrels: an Identification Guide)

53. White-Faced Storm Petrel — (Pelagodroma marina) — Plate 18

53. White-Faced Storm Petrel
(Pelagodroma marina)
Plate 18

Three subspecies:

White-faced Storm Petrel (P. marina maoriana)

White-faced Storm Petrel (P. marina dulciae)

Kermadec Storm Petrel (P. marina albiclunis)

The two subspecies, maoriana (New Zealand) and dulciae (Australia) are not distinguishable from each other at sea. The Kermadec Storm Petrel (albiclunis) differs from the other two in page 53 having a white (not grey) rump. The nominate subspecies occurs in the North Atlantic.

Field Characters: 43/20. A large brown and white storm petrel with conspicuously patterned face parts. Forehead, lores and eyebrow white, accentuated by a sooty brown stripe under and behind the eye, and a dark cap of sooty crown and nape feathers. Sides of neck and mantle, grey. Back and upperwing coverts brown, the latter contrasting well with the sooty black secondaries and primaries. Rump and uppertail coverts pale grey and the moderately forked tail sooty brown. Underwing white with broad dusky trailing margins. The long legs extend beyond the fork of the tail when bird is in flight.

Bill black, feet black with yellow webs.

Differs from other storm petrels by its patterned face parts, brown patterned upperparts, and pure white underparts.

Flight similar to other storm petrels with much banking and skipping close to the surface of the sea. Does not follow ships.

A summer breeder on many islands around New Zealand, from the Kermadecs to the Chatham and Auckland Islands, along the coasts of southern Australia (from New South Wales to Western Australia) and (the nominate subspecies) on islands of the North Atlantic. In the New Zealand region, birds apparently disperse northwards for the winter.