White-vented Storm-petrel
Encyclopedia
The Elliot's Storm Petrel (Oceanites gracilis) is a species of seabird
in the storm-petrel
family Hydrobatidae
. The species is also known as White-vented Storm-petrel. There are two subspecies, O. g. gracilis, which is found in the Humboldt Current
off Peru
and Chile
, and O. g. galapagoensis, which is found in the waters around the Galapagos Islands
. It is a sooty-black storm-petrel with a white rump. It has long legs which extend beyond the body in flight.
In spite of the frequent sightings of this species it is very poorly known; only one nest has ever been found. The feeding behaviour of the Galapagos subspecies is unusual amongst storm-petrels as it forages close to shore; all other storm-petrels are exclusively pelagic.
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...
in 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 Hydrobatidae
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...
. The species is also known as White-vented Storm-petrel. There are two subspecies, O. g. gracilis, which is found in the Humboldt Current
Humboldt Current
The Humboldt Current , also known as the Peru Current, is a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north-westward along the west coast of South America from the southern tip of Chile to northern Peru. It is an eastern boundary current flowing in the direction of the equator, and can extend...
off Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and O. g. galapagoensis, which is found in the waters around the Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
. It is a sooty-black storm-petrel with a white rump. It has long legs which extend beyond the body in flight.
In spite of the frequent sightings of this species it is very poorly known; only one nest has ever been found. The feeding behaviour of the Galapagos subspecies is unusual amongst storm-petrels as it forages close to shore; all other storm-petrels are exclusively pelagic.