White-necked Petrel
Pterodroma cervicalis
A large petrel with long wings and a long, thick bill. The dark “M” pattern on the wings contrasts with the gray back. The underwings are mostly white. Similar to Juan Fernandez Petrel, but the black cap is separated from the gray back by a broad white collar. Migrates through Hawaiian waters. mostly from the late summer through spring. Rare in Hawaii, but observed more often in the western end of the Archipelago.
Identification
This species resembles the Vanuatu petrel, P. occulta, but is slightly larger at 43 cm (17 in) in length, 95–105 cm (37–41 in) in wing span and 380–545 g (13.4–19.2 oz) in weight. It has a black cap, white rear neck, dark grey back, wings and tail, and a darker rump. The underparts are white with dark bases on the primary feathers. The upperparts of worn birds become darker.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Pterodroma cervicalis
- Authority
- (Salvin, 1891)
- Order
- Procellariiformes
- Family
- Procellariidae
- Genus
- Pterodroma
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- PO : Phillip I. (s of Norfolk Is., far e of Australia) and Macauley I. (Kermadec Is., ne of North I., New Zealand)
- Non-breeding range
- to se Australia and nw, nc Pacific Ocean to se Japan and ec Pacific
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
This is a solitary pelagic gadfly petrel of the open seas of the south-west Pacific. It has an effortless graceful flight with few wing beats, and does not follow ships. It feeds on the wing, picking fish and squid from near the surface.<p>Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland (for breeding) and open seas (for foraging). It is threatened by habitat loss on its breeding grounds.
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
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