European Storm-petrel
Encyclopedia
The European Storm Petrel or Storm Petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus) is a small bird
of the storm-petrel
family
, Hydrobatidae, part of the seabird
order Procellariiformes
. It is the only member of the genus Hydrobates.
, only the size of a House Martin
, which it superficially resembles with its dark plumage
and white rump. It is 15–16 cm in length with a 38–42 cm wingspan. It can be distinguished from Leach's Storm Petrel and Wilson's Storm Petrel by its smaller size, different rump pattern and flight behaviour.
and western Mediterranean, with the core population in western Ireland
, northwest Scotland
and the Faroe Islands
, where the worldwide biggest colony breeds on the island of Nólsoy
. The largest colony in the Mediterranean is found in Filfla Island Malta
were there is up to 5,000 pairs It is strictly pelagic outside the breeding season, and this, together with its remote breeding sites, makes Storm Petrel a difficult bird to see from land. Only in Atlantic storms might this species be pushed into the headlands of south-western Ireland
and England.
. It is strictly nocturnal at the breeding sites to avoid predation by gull
s and skua
s, and will even avoid coming to land on clear moonlit nights. Like most petrels, its walking ability is limited to a short shuffle to the burrow.
ic food items from the ocean surface. It is readily seen from ships, which it will follow. It is attracted by "chum" (a mixture of fish offal, fish oil, popcorn
and sometimes dimethyl sulfide
) used by birders to lure seabirds, and an apparently empty ocean will soon fill with hundreds of these birds.
s, and much folklore is associated with this harbinger
of stormy weather. Its most common folk name is "Mother Carey's Chicken", Mother Carey
being a supernatural figure representing the sea. The birds were sometimes thought to be the souls of perished sailors.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
of the storm-petrel
Storm-petrel
Storm petrels are seabirds in the family Hydrobatidae, part of the order Procellariiformes. These smallest of seabirds feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.Storm petrels have a cosmopolitan...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, Hydrobatidae, part of the seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
order Procellariiformes
Procellariiformes
Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm petrels, and diving petrels...
. It is the only member of the genus Hydrobates.
Description
The Storm Petrel is a small birdBird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
, only the size of a House Martin
House Martin
The Common House Martin , sometimes called the Northern House Martin or, particularly in Europe, just House Martin, is a migratory passerine bird of the swallow family which breeds in Europe, north Africa and temperate Asia; and winters in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia...
, which it superficially resembles with its dark plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
and white rump. It is 15–16 cm in length with a 38–42 cm wingspan. It can be distinguished from Leach's Storm Petrel and Wilson's Storm Petrel by its smaller size, different rump pattern and flight behaviour.
Distribution
It breeds on inaccessible islands in the north AtlanticAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and western Mediterranean, with the core population in western Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, northwest Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
, where the worldwide biggest colony breeds on the island of Nólsoy
Nólsoy
Nólsoy is an island and village in central Faroe Islands, located to the east of the capital Tórshavn in Streymoy. There is only one settlement on the island: Nólsoy on the north-west coast on Stongin, a peninsula attached to the rest of the island by a metres-wide isthmus...
. The largest colony in the Mediterranean is found in Filfla Island Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
were there is up to 5,000 pairs It is strictly pelagic outside the breeding season, and this, together with its remote breeding sites, makes Storm Petrel a difficult bird to see from land. Only in Atlantic storms might this species be pushed into the headlands of south-western Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and England.
Breeding
It nests in colonies close to the sea in burrows or rock crevices. It lays a single white eggBird egg
Bird eggs are laid by females and incubated for a time that varies according to the species; a single young hatches from each egg. Average clutch sizes range from one to about 17...
. It is strictly nocturnal at the breeding sites to avoid predation by gull
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
s and skua
Skua
The skuas are a group of seabirds with about seven species forming the family Stercorariidae and the genus Stercorarius. The three smaller skuas are called jaegers in North America....
s, and will even avoid coming to land on clear moonlit nights. Like most petrels, its walking ability is limited to a short shuffle to the burrow.
Feeding
This species has a fluttering flight, and patters on the water surface as it picks planktonPlankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
ic food items from the ocean surface. It is readily seen from ships, which it will follow. It is attracted by "chum" (a mixture of fish offal, fish oil, popcorn
Popcorn
Popcorn, or popping corn, is corn which expands from the kernel and puffs up when heated. Corn is able to pop because, like sorghum, quinoa and millet, its kernels have a hard moisture-sealed hull and a dense starchy interior. This allows pressure to build inside the kernel until an explosive...
and sometimes dimethyl sulfide
Dimethyl sulfide
Dimethyl sulfide or methylthiomethane is an organosulfur compound with the formula 2S. Dimethyl sulfide is a water-insoluble flammable liquid that boils at and has a characteristic disagreeable odor. It is a component of the smell produced from cooking of certain vegetables, notably maize,...
) used by birders to lure seabirds, and an apparently empty ocean will soon fill with hundreds of these birds.
Folklore
This bird is familiar to sailorSailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
s, and much folklore is associated with this harbinger
Harbinger
-Places:* Montes Harbinger, lunar mountains* Harbinger, an unincorporated community in Currituck County, North Carolina-Transportation:* Harbinger , ship also called Norfolk in 1797* Harbinger , thoroughbred racehorse...
of stormy weather. Its most common folk name is "Mother Carey's Chicken", Mother Carey
Mother Carey
Mother Carey was a supernatural figure personifying the cruel and threatening sea in the imagination of 19th-century English-speaking sailors...
being a supernatural figure representing the sea. The birds were sometimes thought to be the souls of perished sailors.