Alternative names: Wilson's Shearwater; Mother Carey's Chickens
- Oceanites oceanicus
Identification
Length 7.25" (18 cm), wingspan 16-18" (41-46 cm). Dark blackish brown except for bold U-shaped white rump patch that extends onto flanks, pale carpal bars and underwings. Square tail may appear notched. Long legs extend beyond tail in flight. Relatively short wings. Fluttery, swallow-like flight. Feeding behavior of tapping surface of water with toes while hovering is distinctive.
Distribution
It breeds on the Antarctic coastlines and nearby islands such as the South Shetland Islands as well as in southern Chile. Common migrant in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized[1]:
- oceanicus is a mainly temperate species mostly limited to the southern hemisphere
- exasperatus is a high arctic breeder that is highly migratory, routinely found in the northern hemisphere in southern winter
Habitat
Open sea.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes planktonic food items picked from the ocean surface.
Breeding
It is nocturnal at the breeding sites to avoid predation by gulls and skuas.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Alvaro Jaramillo. 2003. Birds of Chile. Princeton Field Guides. ISBN 0-691-11740-3
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Wilson's Storm Petrel. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Wilson%27s_Storm_Petrel
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
