Stejneger's Petrel

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iStejneger's Petrel
Conservation status
Vulnerable (VU)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Procellariiformes Family: Procellariidae Genus: Pterodroma Species: P. longirostris
Binomial name
Pterodroma longirostris (Stejneger, 1893)

Stejneger's Petrel (Pterodroma longirostris) is a species of seabird and a member of the gadfly petrels. The bird is 26-31 cm in size, with a 53-66 cm wingspan.

This species is highly pelagic, rarely approaching land, except to nest and rear young. It occurs in the Pacific Ocean, nesting in the Juan Fernandez Islands off Chile. It is a transequatorial migrant, finding its way to subtropical waters off Japan before returning to its nesting sites. It has been reported well off the west coast of the United States.

Stejneger's Petrel uses burrows to nest in. It prefers slopes and ridges in areas of dense fern forests. Population of this bird is decreasing due to introduced cats on its breeding islands. It is considered a vulnerable species because of its restricted breeding range.

[edit] References

• BirdLife International (2004). Pterodroma longirostris. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is vulnerable,and the criteria used
• "National Geographic" Field Guide to the Birds of North America ISBN 0-7922-6877-6
• Seabirds, an Identification Guide by Peter Harrison, ISBN 0-7470-8028-8
• Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 1, Josep del Hoyo editor, ISBN 84-87334-10-5