Masatierra Petrel
A species of Gadfly Petrels Scientific name : Pterodroma defilippiana Genus : Gadfly Petrels
Masatierra Petrel, A species of Gadfly Petrels
Botanical name: Pterodroma defilippiana
Genus: Gadfly Petrels
Content
Description General Info
Description
De Filippi's petrel grows to a length of about 26 centimetres (10 in). Its cap and mask are dark grey while its forehead is white. It has dark grey plumage on its upperparts with a distinctive "M" mark, a paler grey partial collar and a white throat, belly and under wing-coverts. When seen from below, the wings have black tips and black trailing edges. 
Size
26 cm
Feeding Habits
Masatierra Petrel primarily consumes squid and small fish, occasionally ingesting sea skaters. Its feeding behaviors or specific dietary adaptations are not widely documented, suggesting a generally opportunistic foraging pattern.
Habitat
The masatierra Petrel is primarily associated with marine and likely pelagic environments, favoring oceanic expanses for foraging. Its breeding grounds are predominantly on islands, where it finds nesting sites in protected areas such as sheltered cliff ledges, crevices, caverns, and areas with boulders at the base of lava cliffs.
Dite type
Piscivorous
General Info
Distribution Area
De Filippi's petrel spends the greatest part of the year at sea in the eastern Pacific Ocean south of the equator where the Humboldt Current causes a major upwelling of nutrient-rich cold water. Here the bird feeds by skimming across the surface of the water and scooping up prey on the wing. It nests in two island groups off the coast of Chile. On the Desventuradas Islands, the largest colony is on San Ambrosio where more than 10,000 birds were estimated to be present in 1970. San Félix also had 150 to 200 nesting pairs at that time. On the Juan Fernández Islands, the bird is no longer believed to be nesting on Robinson Crusoe Island but Santa Clara Island had a few hundred birds present in 1991, a number not likely to increase because there is limited availability of suitable nesting sites on the island.
Species Status
De Filippi's petrel is a bird of the open ocean but returns to islands off the coast of Chile to breed on cliff ledges. The total number of birds may be fewer than 20,000 and the IUCN, in its Red List of Threatened Species, lists it as "Vulnerable". This is because of the small number of birds and limited breeding range, and the fact that land-based predators such as feral cats and coatis eat the eggs and young, and are believed to have caused the bird's extinction on Robinson Crusoe Island. Rats are also believed to be predators.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Albatrosses and Petrels Family
Shearwaters and petrels Genus
Gadfly Petrels Species
Masatierra Petrel 
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