- Pterodroma alba
Identification
35cm long, wingspan of 83cm. It has a dark brown upperparts plumage, white below and whitish throat. Both sexes are similar.
Distribution
Phoenix, Tonga, Kiritimati, Tuamotu, Marquesas and Pitcairn Island.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Pelagic, except for when breeding.
Behaviour
Nesting happens on surface as opposed to in burrows, and visits to the nest takes place in the afternoon into evening rather than at night only. Female lays one white egg on the ground surface.
The diet consists mainly of squid, fish and crustaceans.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- SACC proposal to split Herald Petrel into two species which also contains behavior notes on several species
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Phoenix Petrel. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Phoenix_Petrel
