Band-rumped storm petrel

Appearance

The band-rumped storm petrel is 19–21 cm in length with a 43–46 cm wingspan, and weighs 44–49 g. It is mainly brownish black with an extensive white rump. Similar to Leach's storm petrel with the forked tail, long wings, but Leach's has a more deeply forked tail, a differently shaped white rump, and a 'tern-like' flight, whereas the band-rumped storm-petrel has a more 'shearwater-like' flight.

Distribution

The species breeds on islands in the warmer parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. These include the Berlengas , the Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and Saint Helena in the Atlantic, and in the Pacific off eastern Japan, on Kauai, Hawaii, and on the Galápagos Islands. In 2018, the species was reported to have also started breeding on the Mauna Loa volcano on the island of Hawaii.

Reproduction

Birds nest in colonies close to the sea in rock crevices and females lay a single white egg per breeding attempt. The band-rumped storm petrel spends the non-breeding period at sea. It is strictly nocturnal at its breeding sites to avoid predation by gulls and diurnal raptors such as peregrines, and will even avoid coming to land on clear moonlit nights. Like most petrels, its walking ability is limited to a short shuffle from/to the burrow.

Food

Individuals feed by picking up prey items from the water surface. A study aiming to determine the diving abilities of this species was actually conducted on the 'warm season' population from the Azores, which was later recognized as a distinct species.