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Pterodroma

(Genus)

Overview

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The gadfly petrels are seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. These medium to large petrels feed on food items picked from the ocean surface.

The short, sturdy bills of the Pterodroma species in this group, about 35 altogether, are adapted for soft prey taken at the surface; they have twisted intestines for digesting marine animals which have unusual biochemistries.

Their complex wing and face marking are probably for interspecific recognition.

These birds nest in colonies on islands and are pelagic when not breeding. One white egg is laid usually in a burrow or on open ground. They are nocturnal at the breeding colonies.

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The taxonomy of the gadfly petrels is being reformed at the moment. Several genera have been split off over time, as they are closer to the procellarine and Puffinus shearwaters. Some subspecies have been raised to full species rank. The arrangement given h ere is traditional, but annotates the changes proposed by Austin (1998) and Bretagnolle et al. (1998). For the current taxonomy, see also Brooke (2004).

A Pleistocene fossil from Aldabra, Indian Ocean, was described as Pterodroma kurodai. Biogeographically, it could belong into any genus.

Footnotes

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  1. ^ http://www.worldbirdnames.org/updates-PS.html
  2. ^ Onley, D. & Schofield, P. (2007)
  3. ^ Pterodroma brevipes magnificens (Bretagnolle & Shirihai, 2010): Banks Islands, Vanuatu. Bull BOC 130(4).
he gadfly petrels are seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. These medium to large petrels feed on food items picked from the ocean surface.

The short, sturdy bills of the Pterodroma species in this group, about 35 altogether, are adapted for soft prey taken at the surface; they have twisted intestines for digesting marine animals which have unusual biochemistries.

Their complex wing and face marking are probably for interspecific recognition.

These birds nest in colonies on islands and are pelagic when not breeding. One white egg is laid usually in a burrow or on open ground. They are nocturnal at the breeding colonies.

[ Back to top ]

The taxonomy of the gadfly petrels is being reformed at the moment. Several genera have been split off over time, as they are closer to the procellarine and Puffinus shearwaters. Some subspecies have been raised to full species rank. The arrangement given here is traditional, but annotates the changes proposed by Austin (1998) and Bretagnolle et al. (1998). For the current taxonomy, see also Brooke (2004).

A Pleistocene fossil from Aldabra, Indian Ocean, was described as Pterodroma kurodai. Biogeographically, it could belong into any genus.

Footnotes

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  1. ^ http://www.worldbirdnames.org/updates-PS.html
  2. ^ Onley, D. & Schofield, P. (2007)
  3. ^ Pterodroma brevipes magnificens (Bretagnolle & Shirihai, 2010): Banks Islands, Vanuatu. Bull BOC 130(4).

References

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Taxonomy

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The Genus Pterodroma is further organized into finer groupings including:

References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ Onley, D. & Schofield, P. (2007)

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 16:33:24