Desertas Petrel
NameDesertas Petrel
Common NameDesertas Petrel
Scientific NamePterodroma deserta
FamilyProcellariidae
Wingspan (cm)90
Length (cm)37.5
Weight (g)345
Plumage DetailsUpperparts, head, and upper breast are dark sooty-brown, sharply contrasting with pure white underparts. The underwings are mostly white with a dark trailing edge and a distinct dark patch at the carpal joint. It has a dark bill and a dark patch around the eye.
Vocalization / CallGenerally silent at sea, but at breeding colonies, especially at night, it produces a variety of calls including a distinctive 'ti-ti-ti-too' or 'ki-ki-ki-koo', as well as cackling and purring sounds.
Primary Dietpiscivore
Primary Habitatscoastal
Conservation Statusvulnerable
Geographic RangeBreeds exclusively on Bugio Island in the Desertas Islands (Madeira, Portugal). Outside the breeding season, it disperses widely across the North Atlantic Ocean, ranging from waters off eastern North America and the Caribbean to western Africa.
Identifying FeaturesDark brown upperparts contrasting with white underparts, Dark eye patch, White underwings with dark trailing edge and carpal patch, Graceful, shearing flight over open ocean, Relatively long, narrow wings
Description
The Desertas Petrel is a medium-sized seabird characterized by its dark brown upperparts and contrasting white underparts. It spends most of its life at sea, exhibiting a graceful, shearing flight over the ocean waves, only returning to remote islands to breed.
