The Ebird white faced storm petrel is a small seabird in the storm petrel family Hydrobatidae. It is named for its distinctive white face and black cap. Also known as the white-faced storm petrel or white-faced petrel, this species breeds on islands in the tropical and subtropical areas of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. The Ebird white faced storm petrel is highly pelagic, spending most of its life far out at sea and only returning to land to breed. It is known for its erratic, fluttering flight low over the ocean surface as it feeds on fish, squid, and plankton.
Identification
The Ebird white faced storm petrel is a small seabird, measuring about 15-20 cm in length with a wingspan of 33-40 cm and weighing around 40-70 g. It has a black cap and hindcollar, contrasting sharply with the white face, throat, breast, belly, and undertail coverts. The upperparts are brownish-gray and the underwings show a dark “M” mark across the coverts. The bill is black and the legs are yellow with black webbing between the toes. In flight, it has a distinctive erratic fluttering style with fast shallow wingbeats and wings held stiffly.
Key identification features of the Ebird white faced storm petrel include:
- Small size
- Black cap and hindcollar
- White face, throat, breast, belly, and undertail coverts
- Brownish-gray upperparts
- Dark “M” mark on underwings
- Black bill
- Yellow legs with black webbing
- Fluttering flight close to water surface
Distribution and Habitat
The Ebird white faced storm petrel has a widespread distribution across tropical and subtropical waters globally. Its breeding range spans islands in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Major breeding sites include islands off southern Africa, Madagascar, the Galapagos, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, and Chile.
This pelagic species spends most of its life wandering widely over warm ocean waters, ranging north to the limits of the subtropics. It typically remains far from land except when breeding, only approaching the breeding colonies at night.
Its preferred habitat is tropical and subtropical seas, generally in waters warmer than 20°C. It is frequently found hundreds or even thousands of miles from the nearest land.
Breeding Range
The Ebird white faced storm petrel nests on remote oceanic islands across the tropical Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Major breeding sites include:
- Islands off Namibia and South Africa
- Madagascar and islands in the Mozambique Channel
- Gulf of Guinea islands
- Galapagos Islands
- Hawaiian Islands
- Islands off Australia and New Zealand
- Juan Fernandez Islands off Chile
Nonbreeding Range
During the nonbreeding season, the Ebird white faced storm petrel disperses across vast areas of tropical and subtropical oceans:
- Throughout the Atlantic south of 40°N
- Across the Indian Ocean north to 30°N
- In the Pacific south to 40°S, ranging as far east as Chile
Vagrant birds may wander north of the typical range limits.
Behavior
The Ebird white faced storm petrel spends most of its life wandering the open oceans far from land. It flies low over the sea surface with fast, erratic wingbeats and stiff wings. It feeds by picking small prey items from the water surface while fluttering along. This species is highly aerial and rarely settles on the water.
It is usually solitary or found in small groups widely scattered across the ocean. It associating in larger feeding flocks around sources of prey. This is a highly pelagic species that only visits breeding colonies briefly at night. It nests in burrows, crevices, or small caves on remote islands.
Flight
The flight of the Ebird white faced storm petrel is characterized by fast shallow wingbeats and wings held stiffly. Its flight often appears fluttering and erratic as it constantly changes direction. It flies low over the ocean, sometimes dipping down to snatch prey items. This agile flyer is capable of rapid maneuvering close to the water surface. It rarely lands on the water.
Feeding
The Ebird white faced storm petrel feeds primarily on small fish, squid, and plankton. It picks prey from the ocean surface while fluttering low over the water. It may also makes short plunging dives to capture food just below the surface. This species sometimes associates with other seabirds, whales, or schools of predatory fish to feed on prey forced to the surface.
Breeding
The breeding habits of the Ebird white faced storm petrel include:
- Nests in burrows, rock crevices, or small caves on remote islands
- Nocturnal at breeding colonies to avoid predators
- Forms pairs that mate for life
- Lays a single white egg
- Both parents incubate egg for about 50 days
- Chick is brooded and fed by parents until fledging at 2-3 months
- Parents continue to feed fledged chick at night
Population and Conservation
Population
Global population estimates for the Ebird white faced storm petrel range from several hundred thousand to over 1 million mature individuals. However, the population trend is decreasing. The species faces threats from invasive species, habitat degradation, and climate change at its island breeding colonies.
This species has an extremely large range and population size, but declines at some breeding sites and high vulnerability to ongoing threats warrant listing it as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Threats and Conservation
Major threats to the Ebird white faced storm petrel include:
- Predation by invasive species at breeding colonies
- Habitat degradation from erosion, development, pollution
- Climate change impacts on breeding sites
- Light pollution disorienting fledglings
- Plastic ingestion and marine pollution
Conservation actions for the species should focus on protecting and restoring breeding colonies, managing invasive predators, reducing light pollution near colonies, and mitigating climate change impacts. Continued monitoring of populations is also important.
Conclusion
In summary, the Ebird white faced storm petrel is a highly pelagic seabird species characterized by its black cap and white face. It has a pantropical distribution, breeding on remote islands and spending most of its life wandering tropical oceans. Its population appears to be decreasing due to threats like invasive species and climate change at its island colonies. Conservation efforts for this species should focus on protecting breeding sites and managing threats at these vulnerable island habitats. The Ebird white faced storm petrel serves as an indicator of the health of tropical marine ecosystems.