Soft-plumaged petrel

The soft-plumaged petrel (Pterodroma mollis) is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae.

Soft-plumaged petrel
Ventral plumage.
Dorsal plumage. Photographed on pelagic waters near Albany, Western Australia.

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Procellariiformes
Family: Procellariidae
Genus: Pterodroma
Species:
P. mollis
Binomial name
Pterodroma mollis
(Gould, 1844)
On land
Pterodroma mollis - MHNT
Dark Morph

Distribution

It breeds on islands in the Southern Hemisphere, nesting on Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, the Prince Edward Islands, Crozet Islands, Macquarie Island, and on the Antipodes Islands of New Zealand. Small numbers breed in the Maatsuyker Island Group of southern Tasmania. It disperses outside the breeding season, reaching eastern South America north to Brazil, southern Africa and Australia. It has occurred as a vagrant in Israel, Norway and Jordan.

Taxonomy

Fea's petrel (P. feae), Desertas petrel (P. desertae) and Zino's petrel (P. madeira) of the North Atlantic were formerly treated as subspecies of this bird.

Description

It is a medium-sized petrel. Plumage is dark grey and white. Wings are narrow and with a pointed tail distinct in flight. It has a dark grey head with prominent white feathers on the cheeks and throat. There is a white speckling on forehead along with a prominent dark eye patch. The underside is mostly white, which turned dark grey at underwings. The black bill is about 25–32 mm long, has a sharp hook. Legs are pink with black on the outer webs and toes.[2]

Both sexes are noisy, making medium-pitched moans and shrill squeaks.

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References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Pterodroma mollis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. "Soft-plumaged petrel description". New Zealand Birds Online.


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