White-faced Storm Petrel [Pelagodroma marina]
Description
The White-faced Storm Petrel is a small seabird with a length of 16–18.5 cm and a wingspan of 41–44 cm. It is the only member of the genus Pelagodroma. It is unique among storm petrels in having yellow legs with webbed feet, and a distinctive black triangle of feathers under the eye which gives it its name. It is a pelagic bird which only comes to land for breeding, and its preferred habitat is subtropical or tropical oceans. It feeds on plankton and small invertebrates picked from the ocean surface.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Birds
Aves
|
| Order |
Albatrosses, Petrels, and Shearwaters
Procellariiformes
|
| Family |
Storm Petrels
Hydrobatidae
|
| Genus |
White-faced Storm Petrel
Pelagodroma
|