Monteiro's Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates monteiroi
Very similar to Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, and closely related to it. Both taxa differ mainly in timing of breeding and subsequent wing molt: Monteiro's Storm-Petrel breeds in summer and molt post-breeding, while Band-rumped breeds in winter and molts in winter. Morphologically they are very similar, however Monteiro's has on average a longer and more deeply-forked tail. Breeds in burrows and crevices on islands.
Taxonomy
The existence of a separate species was first hinted at by the discovery of two distinct breeding seasons of Hydrobates storm-petrels in the Azores. Both populations were initially thought to be of band-rumped storm petrels; however, one population breeds during the cool season, and the other during the hot season. A closer study of these two breeding populations found differences in their morphology and moult. Examination of the mtDNA found that the two populations were indeed genetically isolated, and the hot-season-breeding population was elevated to full species rank, Hydrobates monteiroi, Monteiro's storm petrel. The species is named for biologist Dr Luis Monteiro, who was the first to notice morphological and acoustic differences between the two seasonal populations from the Azores.<p>It was formerly defined in the genus Oceanodroma before that genus was synonymized with Hydrobates.
- Scientific name
- Hydrobates monteiroi
- Authority
- (Bolton, Smith, AL, Gómez-Díaz, Friesen, Medeiros, Bried, Roscales & Furness, 2008)
- Order
- Procellariiformes
- Family
- Hydrobatidae
- Genus
- Hydrobates
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- AO : hot-season breeding Azores: is. da Praia and de Baixo (e, se of Graciosa, nc Azores, n Macaronesia, w of Portugal)
- Non-breeding range
- present Azores mainly April-August; non-breeding range unknown
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
The species has a low reproductive output due to competition with other burrowing petrels, and some years, the young and some prospectors are preyed upon by the long-eared owl. The species has been assessed as Vulnerable by the IUCN because of its small population (estimated at 250–300 breeding pairs in 1999 and 328–378 pairs in 2016) and restricted breeding range.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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