Alternative name: Madeira Petrel
- Pterodroma madeira
Identification
32-34cm
- Grey back and wings
- Dark "W" marking across the wings
- Dark wing undersides
- White belly
- White upper breast separating pale grey half-collars.
Confusion Species
It shares the remarkable flight mode with swing-wing (not flapping) action, and frequent 'looping the loop', of other Pterodroma petrels. It is most similar to Fea's Petrel which is marginally larger and has heavier bill, and Soft-plumaged Petrel which differs in having a darker head and complete grey band across the upper breast.
Can be slightly reminiscent of Great Shearwater or maybe a Manx Shearwater, but their underwings are not dark, and are immediately distinguishable by their typical shearwater flight mode.
Distribution
Breeds on Madeira, in the cliffs of the Curral das Freiras valley. Distribution at sea not yet known due to the difficulty of distinguishing it from the very similar and slightly more numerous Fea's Petrel, but likely equally extensive.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Breeds on vegetated mountain ledges at around 1600 m. Otherwise pelagic.
Behaviour
Diet
There is little documented, but they are known to eat fish, squid and crustaceans.
Breeding
It nests in burrows.
Conservation status
Listed by BirdLife International as Endangered, with a population of only around 60 pairs; the population is currently increasing slowly after protection measures (mainly control of feral rats and cats) were implemented[2].
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- BirdLife International: Zino's Petrel
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved September 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Zino's Petrel. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Zino%27s_Petrel
