Fairy Prion
Pachyptila turtur
The smallest of the six prion species, the fairy prion is often seen making shallow dives or seizing food from the surface in large flocks at sea. It is very similar to other prion species, with a dark “M'' stretching across the back from wingtip to wingtip and a black tip to the upper tail. Fairy prions can be carefully distinguished by their smaller size, poorly defined facial markings, and broad, dark tip to the upper tail. The Fulmar Prion, the most similar species, is separated by a shorter bill that is more massive, especially at the tip.
识别特征
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.
分类信息
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.
- 学名
- Pachyptila turtur
- 命名信息
- (Kuhl, 1820)
- 目
- Procellariiformes
- 科
- Procellariidae
- 属
- Pachyptila
分布与栖息地
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.
- 迁徙
- Complete migrants
行为
The diet consists mainly of planktonic crustaceans and tiny fish, which they catch by either seizing prey while on the surface or by dipping their bill into the water while in flight.<p>They breed colonially and prefer small islands. Nests are situated in soil, hidden by vegetation, and dug with the bill or feet, or in a hollow in a crevice. When coming back to their nest at night, they will coo softly and listen for their mate.
保护状况
Widespread and common throughout its large range, with an estimated population of 5,000,000, the fairy prion is evaluated as least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Its range is 24,600,000 km2 (9,500,000 sq mi).
- 种群趋势
- stable
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Pallas's Leaf Warbler
Phylloscopus proregulus
Tiny, chunky, sprightly warbler with a short tail and a big head. Strong head pattern: three bright yellow stripes on an olive green head. Overlaps considerably with other similar leaf warblers throughout non-breeding range, so identification warrants caution; always note strong head pattern, bright yellow rump, and overall bright coloration. Very active while feeding, often hovering to pick insects from leaves. Joins mixed-species flocks. Breeds in coniferous and mixed forest in the Siberian taiga, and winters in a wide range of forested and semi-wooded habitats. Song complex and prolonged, a beautiful rambling series of clinking, chirping, trilling, and warbling with many repeated phrases. Call is a twangy “jwee.” Vagrants often turn up in trees on coastal headlands.
Parrot-billed Seedeater
Sporophila peruviana
Small seed-eating bird with an outsized bill found in arid regions of western Ecuador and western Peru. Best identified by its large, pale bill with a very round, bulging upper edge. Male is gray and white with a black throat that merges with black breast band; also note white wingbars. Female is tan with pale wingbars. Found in fields and scrubby areas; may congregate in large flocks outside of the breeding season.
White-tipped Quetzal
Pharomachrus fulgidus
Elegant large trogon with a black tail tipped with white below, and lacking a crest. Has golden-tinged green upperparts and breast and bright red belly; bill is yellow. Female has a gray bill, gray-brown lower breast, and white barred undertail with white tips. No overlap with other quetzal species, and larger than other trogons in range. Fairly common in tall mature cloud forest, often alone or in pairs but sometimes in groups at fruiting trees. Perches at medium to high levels in the forest. Song is a loud and melancholic series of “WHOOOou hoo hoou”; call is similar to that of Barred Forest-Falcon.
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