From Opus

Photo by Glen Tepke
West of Isles of Scilly, UK, September 2004

Alternative name: Fea's Petrel

Pterodroma feae

[edit] Identification

33–36 cm

• Grey back and wings
• Dark "W" marking across the wings
• Blackish undersides of wings
• White belly.

[edit] Confusion Species

In flight is reminiscent of Great Shearwater or maybe a small Cory's Shearwater, but their underwings are not dark.

Most similar to Zino's Petrel which is smaller and has a less heavy bill.

[edit] Distribution

Breeds in the Cape Verde Islands, Desertas islands and Madeira Islands (Bugio Island); ranges eastern Atlantic Ocean.

[edit] Taxonomy

Closely related to Zino's (Madeira) Petrel.

Previously considered a subspecies of the Soft-plumaged Petrel, P. mollis.

Monotypic^[1]

[edit] Habitat

Open sea.

[edit] Behaviour

Pelagic except when breeding.

[edit] Breeding

Colonial nester, using either abandoned rabbit burrows, ones that it has excavates itself or in holes in rocks. A single white egg is laid. The nest is visited at night.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes planktonic food items from the ocean surface.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Wikipedia
3. Madeira Birds
4. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6

• List of references

[edit] External Links