Fork-tailed Storm Petrel [Oceanodroma furcata]
Description
The Fork-tailed Storm Petrel is a small seabird that ranges across the Pacific Ocean. It is notable for its distinctive forked tail, from which it gets its common name. It is a pelagic bird, spending most of its life out at sea, only coming to land to breed. It feeds mainly on small fish and squid, which it catches by hovering over the water and picking prey from the surface. They are nocturnal at the breeding sites, preferring rocky islands. The bird has a body length of 20-25cm, with a wingspan of 46-50cm. The plumage is a uniform pale grey, lighter on the belly and darker on the wings and back.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Birds
Aves
|
| Order |
Albatrosses, Petrels, and Shearwaters
Procellariiformes
|
| Family |
Storm Petrels
Hydrobatidae
|
| Genus |
Fork-tailed Storm Petrel
Oceanodroma
|