Information AboutFea's Petrel |
The Fea's Petrel ('''''Pterodroma feae''''') is a small Seabird in the Gadfly Petrel Genus , '' Pterodroma ''. It was previously considered to be a Subspecies of the Soft-plumaged Petrel , ''P. mollis''. It breeds in the north Atlantic in the Cape Verde Islands and Madeira Islands (Bugio Island). This endangered species nests in colonies in burrows in spring and autumn. It lays a single white egg. This Seabird is strictly nocturnal at the breeding sites to avoid predation by Gull s. Like most petrels, its walking ability is limited to a short shuffle to the burrow. This long-winged petrel is 33–36 cm in length with an 86–94 cm wingspan. It has a grey back and wings, with a dark "W" marking across the wings. The undersides of the wings are dark and the belly is white. It has a fast impetuous flight. It picks Plankton ic food items from the ocean surface. This species is very similar to the Zino's Petrel , but is larger and has a thicker black bill. It is a rare visitor to waters off the eastern USA , though known only from sight records and photographs. (The American Ornithologists' Union has not accepted these records, and the American Birding Association has accepted them only as "Fea's/Zino's Petrel", to the annoyance of Birders who are confident that they identified this species correctly.) It is also an extremely rare vagrant to western Europe , principally Great Britain and Ireland . This bird is named after the Italian zoologist Leonardo Fea . |
|
|