Fea's Petrel
A species of Gadfly Petrels Scientific name : Pterodroma feae Genus : Gadfly Petrels
Fea's Petrel, A species of Gadfly Petrels
Botanical name: Pterodroma feae
Genus: Gadfly Petrels
Content
Description General Info
Photo By sweiss243 , used under CC-BY-NC-4.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Description
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 planktonic 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. As all three species in the Pterodroma feae/madeira/desertae complex were once believed to be subspecies of a single species: Pterodroma mollis, the extreme difficulty in telling them apart is easily understood. A summary of data from a morphological study sheds light on the issue: In overall size feae is closer to deserta and both are bigger than madeira (wing length - f:262, d: 264, m: 248; tarsus - f:34.7, d: 35.2, m: 32.7). Bill length once again similar in feae and deserta and both larger than madeira (f:29.0, d: 28.6, m: 26.3). Bill depth by far biggest in deserta, lowest in madeira, and intermediate in feae (f:11.9, d: 12.9, m: 10.5). In terms of ratios: (Bill length/wing length) (f:11.1%, d: 10.8%, m: 10.6%) is rather similar in the three taxa. (Bill length/bill depth) (f: 2.44, d: 2.22, m: 2.53) is lowest in deserta, and highest in madeira. In feae it is intermediate, but more than twice closer to madeira than to deserta.
Size
23 - 41 cm
Feeding Habits
Fea's Petrel primarily feeds on squid and small fish, adeptly foraging at sea often at night, utilizing swift flight and surface-seizing techniques, exhibiting a distinctive diet for oceanic birds.
Habitat
Fea's Petrel typically resides in marine and pelagic habitats, favoring the open ocean far from land. This species breeds in rugged, mountainous regions at elevations ranging from approximately 500 meters to as high as 2200 meters above sea level. Their breeding grounds are generally characterized by steep slopes and vertical cliffs. While historically found in wooded areas, current breeding sites are mainly devoid of dense forest cover, reflecting a preference for more open, rocky terrain.
Dite type
Piscivorous
General Info
Distribution Area
It breeds on four islands of Cape Verde in the eastern Atlantic Ocean: Fogo, Santo Antão, São Nicolau and Santiago.
Photo By sweiss243 , used under CC-BY-NC-4.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Albatrosses and Petrels Family
Shearwaters and petrels Genus
Gadfly Petrels Species
Fea's Petrel