Black-bellied Storm Petrel [Fregetta tropica]
Description
The Black-bellied Storm Petrel is a small seabird of the storm petrel family Hydrobatidae. It is about 20 cm in length with a 43-44 cm wingspan, and weighs around 35-50 grams. The species has a characteristic black plumage on its upperside and a white underside, with a distinguishing black 'cap' on its head extending below the eye. The Black-bellied Storm Petrel is pelagic, spending most of its life at sea except during breeding season. It feeds primarily on planktonic crustaceans and small fish. The species is known to breed on remote islands in the Southern Hemisphere, laying a single egg in a burrow in soft soil.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Birds
Aves
|
| Order |
Albatrosses, Petrels, and Shearwaters
Procellariiformes
|
| Family |
Storm Petrels
Hydrobatidae
|
| Genus |
Black-bellied Storm Petrel
Fregetta
|