Leach's Storm Petrel [Oceanodroma leucorhoa]
Description
The Leach's Storm Petrel is a small, nocturnal seabird found in the Northern Hemisphere. This species is also pelagic, spending most of its life out at sea and only coming to land to breed. Its diet consists primarily of small fish and shrimp-like crustaceans. The bird is recognized by its forked tail and its erratic flight style. It has a body length of 18-21 cm and a wingspan of 43-48 cm. It is predominantly sooty-brown in color, with a pale carpal bar on the upperwings.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Birds
Aves
|
| Order |
Albatrosses, Petrels, and Shearwaters
Procellariiformes
|
| Family |
Storm Petrels
Hydrobatidae
|
| Genus |
Fork-tailed Storm Petrel
Oceanodroma
|