Prion colombe

Pachyptila turtur

La plus petite des six espèces de prions, le prion colombe est souvent vu effectuant des plongeons peu profonds ou saisissant de la nourriture à la surface en grandes troupes en mer. Il est très similaire aux autres espèces de prions, avec un « M » sombre s'étendant sur le dos d'une extrémité d'aile à l'autre et une pointe noire sur le dessus de la queue. Les prions colombes peuvent être soigneusement distingués par leur taille plus petite, leurs marques faciales mal définies et une pointe large et sombre sur le dessus de la queue. Le Prion de Salvin, l'espèce la plus similaire, se distingue par un bec plus court et plus massif, surtout à la pointe.

Identification

The fairy prion is around 25 cm (9.8 in) in length, with a wingspan of 56 cm (22 in). The plumage is blue-grey on its upperparts with a dark "M" extending to the wingtips. The tail is wedge-shaped with a dark tip. The underparts are mostly white. It has a pale blue bill with blue legs and feet. The sexes are alike. In appearance, it is very similar to the fulmar prion (Pachyptila crassirostris), and the two species cannot be distinguished at sea.

Taxonomie

The fairy prion was formally described in 1820 by the German naturalist Heinrich Kuhl under the binomial name Procellaria turtur. It is now placed with the other prions in the genus Pachyptila, introduced in 1811 by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek pakhus , meaning "dense" or "thick", with ptilon, meaning "feather" or "plumage". The specific epithet turtur is Latin for "turtle dove". The word prion comes from the Ancient Greek word priōn, meaning "a saw", which refers to the serrated edges of its bill.<p>The fairy prion is a member of the genus Pachyptila and of the subgenus Pseudoprion Coues, 1866. Along with the blue petrel, they make up the prions. They in turn are members of the family Procellariidae, and the order Procellariiformes. Prions are small and typically eat just zooplankton but, as members of the Procellariiformes, they share certain identifying features. They have nasal passages, called naricorns, that attach to the upper bill, as opposed to the nostrils on the albatross which are on the sides of the bill. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between seven and nine horny plates.<p>The birds produce a stomach oil made up of wax esters and triglycerides that is stored in the proventriculus, and is used against predators, as well as providing an energy rich food source for chicks, and for the adults during their long flights. They also have a salt gland above the nasal passage which excretes a high saline solution from their nose, helping to desalinate their bodies, due to the large quantity of ocean water that they imbibe. It.

Nom scientifique
Pachyptila turtur
Autorité
(Kuhl, 1820)
Ordre
Procellariiformes
Famille
Procellariidés
Genre
Pachyptila

Répartition et habitat

The fairy prion is found throughout oceans and coastal areas in the Southern Hemisphere. Their colonies can be found in the Falklands Isles, the Bass Strait Islands of Australia, the Crozet Isles, as well as the Chatham Islands, the Antipodes Islands, and the Snares Islands of New Zealand amongst many other places.

Migration
Migrateurs complets

Comportement

Mode de migration: Migrateurs complets.

Conservation

Tendance de la population: stable.

Tendance de la population
stable

Photos

Distribution

Chants d'Oiseaux

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