Ashy storm petrel

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Ashy storm petrel
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Procellariiformes
Family: Hydrobatidae
Genus: Hydrobates
Species:
H. homochroa
Binomial name
Hydrobates homochroa
(Coues, 1864)
Synonyms
  • Oceanodroma homochroa Coues, 1864

The ashy storm petrel (Hydrobates homochroa) is a small, scarce

colonially on islands off the coasts of California and Mexico, and is one of six species of storm petrel that live and feed in the rich California Current
system.

Taxonomy

The ashy storm petrel was first described by American ornithologist Elliott Coues in 1864. Both its common and scientific name, homochroa, "uniformly colored", from Ancient Greek (h)omoia (όμοια), "alike" + "chroma" (χρώμα) "color", come from its coloration.

It was formerly defined in the genus

Oceanodroma before that genus was synonymized with Hydrobates.[2]

Description and ecology

This is a small, uniformly sooty-brown storm petrel with a forked tail, closely resembling the black storm petrel, but it is smaller and has a more fluttering style of flight, with the upstroke only becoming horizontal to the body before beginning the downstroke (other storm petrels in its range have a higher upstroke).

It is a gregarious bird at sea, feeding nocturnally on

myctophids, which rise to the sea's surface at night) and euphausiid krill such as Thysanoessa spinifera
, which also swarm at the surface. They also attend fishing vessels for the fish oils released when the nets are pulled.

MHNT
)

Ashy storm petrels nest in rock burrows on offshore islands, returning to the nests at night. The species has a long breeding cycle, laying eggs in May and fledging in October, although timing varies greatly, more so than in most other storm petrels; some pairs may have a chick that is half grown when other pairs are still laying. Like in many other seabirds, pairs show both mate and site fidelity, mating in the same pair with the same mate for many years and nesting at the same burrow, despite the pairs spending their lives out of the breeding season separate from each other, and despite the fact that many individuals might seem to compete for burrows at the nesting colonies. A change in mate is usually associated with a change in nesting site.

The ashy storm petrel is a long-lived bird; a banded individual has lived at least 31 years.[3]

Distribution, status, and threats

Ashy storm petrels breed on 17 islands in the northeast

naturalist.[5]

The world population is estimated to be around 10,000 birds, 8,000 of them breeders, with the Farallon population having declined by one-third between 1972 and 1992. The ashy storm petrel is designated as a species of conservation concern in California. It is threatened by western gull and burrowing owl predation, illumination from fishing boats, introduced predators such as rats and feral cats, and pollution. Most of the islands were it breeds are covered by some degree of protection.

Sea-level rise will also threaten certain nesting sites that would be located too close to water.[6]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22698562A132653646.en
    . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Taxonomic Updates – IOC World Bird List". Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  3. ^ United States Geological Survey (USGS) (2006): Patuxent Wildlife Research Center – Grebes, Loons, Alcids, Gulls, Terns, Albatross and other tubenoses, Cormorants and related species, AOU Numbers 001.0–128.0 Longevity Records Archived August 28, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Version of July, 2006. Retrieved 2006-SEP-4.
  4. ^ "Channel Islands Kayaking Information" (PDF). National Park Service. 2006.
  5. JSTOR 1362896
    .
  6. ^ Benstead, Phil, and James Gilroy (2009). Ashy Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma homochroa). BirdLife species factsheet.

Further reading

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ashy_storm_petrel&oldid=1168543303"