The white-faced storm petrel (Pelagodroma marina) belongs to the storm petrel family, Hydrobatidae. The white-faced storm petrel is a small seabird and the only representative of the genus Pelagodroma. These birds are distributed throughout subtropical and subantarctic regions of the Atlantic, Indian and south-western Pacific Oceans including Indian Islands.
There are six recognized subspecies, namely, P. m. hypoleuca, P. m. eadesorum, P. m. marina, P. m. dulciae, P. m. maoriana and P. m. albiclunis.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorized and evaluated these bird species and has considered them of "least concern".
The white-faced storm petrel is a small bird with long tail measuring about 20 cm in length and weighing 40-45 grams. Its back, rump and wings are brown-grey with white underside. It has white face and black eye mask. These petrel are pelagic and rarely seen near land. Unlike many other sea birds they do not follow ships and boats.
They breed as colonies in remote sites and lay a single egg. The breeding season extends from spring to summer. These petrels feed on the planktonic food including crustaceans from the ocean surface.
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| Indian bird - White-faced storm petrel - Pelagodroma marina |
| Biological classification of Pelagodroma marina | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Procellariiformes |
| Family: | Hydrobatidae |
| Subfamily: | Oceanitinae |
| Genus: | Pelagodroma |
| Species: | P. marina |
| Binomial name: | Pelagodroma marina |
| Distribution: | subtropical to subantarctic regions of the Atlantic, Indian and south-western Pacific Oceans; |
| Feeding habits: | small fish and planktonic food items from the ocean surface; |
| IUCN status listing: | Least Concern |
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Whitefacedstormpetrel1.jpg
Author: Aviceda | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic: White-faced storm petrel - Pelagodroma marina.
