Why is the petrel the most numerous bird on earth. Petrel bird. Description, features, species, lifestyle and habitat of the petrel. Reproduction and offspring

03.05.2020

The petrel (lat. Procellariclassae) is a sea bird of medium size. Representatives of the petrel family are found off the coast of all oceans, but for the most part in the Southern Hemisphere. The order petrels (or tube-nosed) includes 81 species. The plumage is either completely dark or two-tone with a light bottom.

The southern hemisphere is famous for the largest number of inhabited species of petrels. Five species nest near the Russian seas, in addition, thirteen species can be seen during the migration period. During migrations, 3 species of albatrosses fly to the Russian coast of the Pacific Ocean: black-footed, white-backed and dark-backed.

The food base of small tube-nosed species includes squid, small fish, and planktonic crustaceans. The diet of large representatives of this order includes carrion and garbage from ships. The largest representatives of the tube-nosed order are albatrosses, and the smallest are individuals of the storm-petrel family. Petrels spend most of their lives above the ocean, which is facilitated by the structure of their body.

Petrels or tube-nosed - the name of the same detachment. How different are these names? From the first breathes poetry, and the second seems a little rough. And yet they are closely related .... The fact is that thanks to the very horny tubes in the nose of petrels (because of which the second name appeared), these birds are able to spend a significant part of their life over the expanses of the seas and oceans.

The structure of petrels is maximally adapted to life associated with the sea. In the horny tubes of petrels there are nostrils through which excess salts are released (after all, they drink salty sea water). The wings of the tube-nosed, long and narrow, are designed for soaring flight. The fingers of these birds (there are three in total) are connected to each other by a swimming membrane, which is very necessary for them to swim.

It is difficult for petrels to move on land. The structure of their body contributes to life by the sea, above the sea and even in its thickness - some species of tube-noses are able to dive. But due to the difficulties in moving on land, petrels like to nest near the water.

Among the petrels there are also the longest-winged birds in the world. These are albatrosses. Their wingspan can be over four meters. The special structure of the wing makes it possible for albatrosses not to land for several days.

The petrel clutch contains only one large egg (white). It is interesting that large representatives of the tube-nosed are the champions among all birds in terms of the duration of incubation of eggs, which is about two months. They feed the chicks for six months. Both the female and the male are equally involved in caring for the offspring.

Many chicks weigh more than their parents by the end of their stay in the nest. They receive food in the form of gastric fat, an oily liquid that adults regurgitate. By itself, this food is very high in calories. It is formed in the glandular stomach of a bird and, in fact, is a reserve of food. With it, petrels can not only feed their chicks, but also go without food for several days.

Large petrels have an excellent sense of smell. For birds, this is a real rarity. By smell, albatrosses find garbage from ships and carrion.

Some representatives of the tube-nosed during wanderings are able to go around the entire globe. These include the giant petrel, the wandering albatross and the royal albatross. Since their path passes through the southern latitudes, and strong trade winds blow there, the birds picked up by this wind fly around the whole Earth.

The largest representatives of petrels are albatrosses. Their weight reaches ten kilograms. These birds spend a significant part of their lives hovering over the seas and oceans. This is facilitated by unusually long wings - flying in air masses does not require almost any effort from albatrosses. Day after day, they dive right next to the water, then rise to a height of 20 meters. And this is part of their life.

Albatrosses are long-lived. Their life expectancy can reach eighty years (on average - sixty years). This fact, in particular, is explained by the almost complete absence of natural enemies in these birds (due to the exceptionally large size of albatrosses).

Albatrosses arrange mating games. At the same time, they make noise, spread their wings, stretch their necks, etc. all this is accompanied by piercing cries. But the families created by albatrosses are strong - they last all their lives.

The nesting period of the wandering albatross is eleven months. It is because of this that the largest representative of albatrosses is not able to have offspring every year.

Fulmars are one of the most common representatives of the Probe-nosed order in Russia. They got their name due to their gullibility to everything around them. Often during nesting - on land - a fulmar can even let a person quite close. The flight of these birds can be either soaring or flapping. In calm calm weather, they can be found resting right on the water or flying above its surface.

Fools stay alone in the sea. They gather in flocks only near fishing boats to pick up garbage. At the same time, they often quarrel, and then you can hear the cackle of these birds.

The routes of autumn and spring migrations of many petrels do not coincide. For example, the slender-billed petrel nests on islets adjacent to Australia. After the offspring becomes independent, along the Asian coast, it reaches the islands in the Chukchi Sea. It returns to the nesting places by another route, which runs along the coast of America.

The weight of the smallest representatives of the order of petrels is only twenty grams. These are birds of the storm-petrel family. They nest in places protected from attack: in voids between stones, in crevices or burrows. In calm weather, storm-petrels can be caught flying over sea waters. Their flight is fluttering. In stormy weather, these unusual birds prefer to stay between high waves - they protect them from strong winds. The diet of storm petrels includes small marine animals.

"Petrel rain" is a well-known phenomenon for sailors. This large number of storm-petrels sit on the decks of ships (this happens especially often in bad weather). Sailors called them "fiery", as these birds flock to ships in the light of lights.

Petrel - order Pipe-nosed, Petrel family

Southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus). Habitat - Antarctica. Wingspan 2 m. Weight 5 kg

The family includes more than 60 species of birds, inhabitants of the ocean expanses. Their name and lifestyle inspired A. M. Gorky his famous “Song of the Petrel”: “The petrel flies with a cry, like a black lightning, like an arrow pierces the clouds, breaks the foam of the waves with its wing.”

Of course, the appearance of this bird does not at all portend a storm, but petrels do feel great in the most severe storms, using powerful air currents to soar over the ocean. On land, petrels move with great difficulty, their native environment is air, these birds are excellent flyers. Ornithologists believe that some petrels fly around the globe in a year. They can cover a distance of 8000 km in just a month. Petrels feed on fish, squid, jellyfish, but they can also be predatory. For example, the giant petrel, whose wingspan exceeds 2 meters, often preys on smaller birds.

small petrel

Lesser petrels are found from Greenland and Norway to Tierra del Fuego and South Africa. Sometimes they fly to Australia and New Zealand. These petrels are small - their body length varies from 31 to 36 cm. The length of holes dug by small petrels can reach 2 m. They nest throughout the North Atlantic.

The lower part of the wings is white and, as it were, circled with a black border. The wingspan reaches 90 cm. The plumage of the back and upper part of the wings is gray or almost black. A crescent-shaped white stripe runs from the cheeks to the ear region. The lower part of the body is white. On the territory of Russia, small petrels are found over the waters of the Black and Azov Seas. Outside the country, these birds can be seen in the Azores and Canary Islands, in Madeira, off the coast of Great Britain. Life expectancy can be great - more than half a century.

slender-billed petrel

Off the coast of the Russian Far East north to the Bering Strait, slender-billed petrels are sometimes found in large flocks. Thin-billed petrels can be seen off the coast of Sakhalin, in the Kuriles and in Kamchatka, in Chukotka. These birds nest on the southeast coast of Australia, off the coast of Tasmania and on the small islands of the Pacific Ocean. Slender-billed petrels nest in dense colonies. There are two or three holes per square meter. In clutch, as in other petrels, 1 egg.

The wingspan of the slender-billed petrel is slightly less than a meter. During migrations, these petrels can be seen throughout the Pacific Ocean. As in the case of the gray petrel, the chicks of the slender-beaked chicks are eaten by the locals. The throat of slender-billed petrels is light; the crop and part of the belly are lighter than those of the gray petrel.

buller's petrel

In summer, Buller's petrels can be seen off the coast of the Southern Kuriles. Usually, these petrels roam over the waters of almost the entire Pacific. The British and Americans sometimes call this species the New Zealand petrel. On the back and on the wings of this species, a dark pattern in the shape of the letter "m" is noticeable. The species is found off the coast of Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia. During their annual migrations, Buller's petrels usually cross the equator twice. Incubation of a single egg lasts an average of 51 days; partners in a pair regularly replace each other.

The wingspan of Buller's petrel is a little less than a meter - 97 cm. The length of adult birds is about 46-47 cm. The tail is rather long, black, wedge-shaped. The beak is blue-black in color. Slightly similar in color to the variegated petrel, but differs from it in the black and white color of the undersurface of the wings. Maori have long used the chicks of this species of petrels for food.

gray petrel

Most often, gray petrels are found in the Southern Hemisphere, although sometimes they fly into the Northern Hemisphere. The nesting season lasts from March to May. Gray petrels visit their burrows with chicks only at night - to avoid attacks from gulls. In New Zealand markets, you can find carcasses of chicks, which have long been mined by the local population.

Wingspan about a meter; varies from 95 to 110 cm. appearance, size and flight pattern, the gray petrel resembles a small albatross. These birds nest on the islands of New Zealand, on the Falklands, on Tierra del Fuego and on other islands of the Southern Hemisphere. After breeding, gray petrels fly north, covering a distance of tens of thousands of kilometers. Sometimes they reach the shores of the Baltic. Beginning in September, the migration in the opposite direction begins.

diving petrel

Diving petrels can arrange a competitive swim with penguins. They swim underwater in the same style - they can flap their wings like flippers! Birds are small, some will fit in the palm of your hand. When flying, they flap their wings frequently. No degree in flight. The manner of staying in the air among diving petrels is a bit reminiscent of the flight of a hummingbird. Diving petrels can crash into a wave and literally flash it with their body - fly out with reverse side. They dive, of course, perfectly. Hence the name - diving petrels. There are four kinds. All are similar to each other. Their neck and abdomen are almost white, and the upper back is dark dark. Only a class specialist can indicate the type of diving petrel in flight. These birds arrange their nests in burrows on the islands of the Southern Hemisphere. They fly over the expanses of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. They do not move far from the coast - their wings are not the ones to make long-distance migrations. Diving petrels are not found in the Pacific Ocean.

The waters in the area of the Strait of Magellan were chosen by the Magellanic diving petrel. To the north of 50° north latitude are the possessions of the Peruvian diving petrel. Down to the southeast of Australia and the northern tip of New Zealand, the common diving petrel nests on small islands. To the south, it is replaced by the Georgian petrel.

Diving petrels begin to dig nest holes in September and October. In the Southern Hemisphere, this is the beginning of spring. Parents incubate eggs for about two months. A couple more months to feed and then again to freedom - to fly over the sea and dive into its waves.

motley typhoon

On the territory of Russia, motley typhoons can be seen in the northern part of the Kuril Islands and off the coast of Kamchatka. They operate regular seasonal flights from New Zealand to the North Pacific. The color is dominated by gray; a dark stripe on the back and wings. It nests in colonies and is nocturnal at nesting sites. They nest only in the area of New Zealand on islands located off the southern and eastern
coasts of the South Island.

An oceanic species, it is much less common near shelf waters. The beak is black. The forehead and sides are white with dark streaks. There is a dark spot around the eye. The chin, throat and underside of the tail are white. There are no age and seasonal differences in coloration. The flight is gliding, gliding, with a sharp climb. Wingspan from 70 to 90 cm.

Soaring almost above the water itself. Lightness and elegance are seen in this soaring.

Sometimes a bird with its long wings touches the waves of the sea. From the outside, it all looks romantic and beautiful. This wonderful sea bird is called petrel bird.

Translated from of English language the name of this one sounds like "petrel", which is reminiscent of the sound of the name Peter. It was this saint who, according to legend, was able to walk on water.

The petrel is able to do just like St. Peter. He moves through the water without any problems, which makes him a romantic and mysterious bird. How do they manage to stay on the water without problems? On the photo of petrel bird the membranes are clearly visible, they help this bird to walk smoothly on the water.

Petrel Features and Habitat

Petrel - pure sea bird. He spends all his time on the territory of the water. Only during the period of laying eggs can he approach the land.

People who love to travel by sea notice how this one circles right above the ship, then sits on the waves. A wonderful spectacle. During a storm at sea, the petrel cannot land on the water, it has to fly until the storm subsides.

There are about 80 species in birds of the petrel family. The smallest representatives of this species weigh about 20 grams, the weight of the largest can reach up to 10 kg. Amazing variety! But according to biologists, still the most interesting and unusual are two types of petrels - giant and thin-billed.

If the petrel sat on the water, the weather will be fine. And if a bird circles over the waves, there will be a storm.

Sea bird petrel giant has an impressive size. The average length of this bird reaches up to 1 meter. It weighs from 8 to 10 kg. Its wingspan is simply huge, reaching about 2.8 m.

For comparison, the albatross has a wingspan of 3 m. Thanks to such huge wings, the petrel can easily travel around the world.

Medium petrel bird has dimensions similar to . Plumage color is different for each subspecies. Lots of black petrels. And only in the area of \u200b\u200btheir tail you can see white marks.

All representatives of this species have a short beak and long, stilt-like limbs. Brown-black petrels can be found. White with gray color is also relevant for them.

All latitudes, from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere, are inhabited by this wonderful bird. Petrels can be found on many seas and oceans.

Thanks to the arrangement of their wings, they can make huge flights from the cold subarctic spaces to the warm waters of the seas that wash South America.

There are many petrels in the southern regions of the Pacific Ocean. Even the cold climatic zone of the Arctic Ocean and the Bering Sea is not afraid of them.

The nature and lifestyle of the petrel bird

Why is the petrel bird so called? Everything is simply banal. They, as well as in advance, can feel bad weather conditions are expected or good. If the petrel sat on the water, then the weather will be fine. Conversely, if he constantly circles above the waves, then soon there will be a storm.

Pictured is a slender-billed petrel

The petrel is a terrible thief. He cunningly and brazenly can steal an egg from him. In addition, they pose a great danger to little penguins, especially when they are very hungry. Penguins are well aware of this, so they are always on the alert.

The chicks of the petrels themselves are arrogant and aggressive. It is better not to get close to such bullies. The fact is that petrels produce a special oily, disgusting-smelling liquid in the stomach, which the bird spits out at someone who may possibly threaten it.

It is not easy to wash off this liquid. At one time, they are a small chick can spit out a quarter liter. How much of it is in the stock of adults is scary to even guess. But there are also non-aggressive petrels. For example, the thin-billed petrel. They do not build nests. They live in burrows on steep banks.

Pictured is a snow petrel bird

Like many other representatives of tube-nosed birds, the petrel's nostrils open into horny tubes. They say that with the help of these nostrils, excess salt comes out of the body of birds.

Also, thanks to such nostrils, petrels are protected from water ingress. Thanks to the limbs, which have membranes and are located behind, they can quickly move through the water.

On the surface of the land, they move awkwardly with the help of a beak and curved wings. All petrel bird descriptions talk about his strength, power and beauty.

Petrels make pairs. Although most of the time they are kept alone. In the spring, when it is necessary to fly to the nesting place, they find their mate.

Pictured is a petrel chick

petrel food

Petrel's favorite delicacy is small fish. They love herring, sprats and sardines. Also with pleasure, these birds eat cuttlefish and crustaceans.

It is interesting to observe how the petrel looks down on its prey, then abruptly dives into the water and emerges with it. Its beak is designed to filter water and leave everything that is edible.

Most often, such hunting occurs at night. It is at this time of day that the possible victims of the petrel float to the top of the water. In order to feed themselves, the petrel spends a lot of time, effort and energy. He sometimes needs to overcome hundreds of kilometers, so as not to remain hungry.

In the photo, the bird is a small petrel

Reproduction and life expectancy of the petrel

The mating season for petrels begins from the moment they arrive at their permanent place of residence. As a rule, they return to their last year's nest. Accordingly, they form the same pair.

Thus, they remain faithful to each other for all the remaining years. In warm regions, petrels remain in pairs, without flying anywhere. Those birds that fly to the place of their nests behave noisily, and sometimes even fight among themselves.

The nests of each species of petrel are different. These birds lay only one egg in the nest and occasionally take turns incubating it. The male does not hesitate to replace his female when she decides to fly in search of food.

Pictured is a petrel in the nest

The incubation period of an egg averages 52 days. For about a week, a newborn chick is completely defenseless and cannot do without parental care. Then it rapidly and rapidly develops and eventually leaves the nest. Petrels live for about 30 years.

The birds of Antarctica are mostly identified with penguins, but they are flightless birds. But in this harsh region there are quite a lot of birds that fly and have something to do with it all year round.

As a rule, these are petrel, skua and arctic tern. But the most famous bird in Antarctica it is a petrel.

In general, petrels are a whole family, but three species are found in Antarctica - these are the Antarctic petrel, snow petrel and giant petrel.

Lifestyle and habitat

The petrel is one of the most famous sea birds. Which of the people who have been on a sea cruise has not admired seeing this swift bird, either soaring high in the sky, or rushing about on the very waves, or soaring into the heights and from there rushing into the depths of the sea. Looking at this bird, one involuntarily recalls the words of the Song about the Petrel by M. Gorky: “Between the clouds and the sea, the Petrel proudly flies, like black lightning. Now touching the wave with its wing, then soaring up to the clouds with an arrow, it screams, and the clouds hear joy in the bold cry of a bird.

These birds with a streamlined body and powerful wings attract the attention of not only passengers on ocean liners, but also experienced sailors, who always pay attention to their behavior in the air, because it is believed that petrels are harbingers of the weather.

Since ancient times, sailors have noticed one pattern. When the sea is calm or slightly rough, petrels soar high in the sky. It seems that nothing foreshadows the deterioration of the weather, but suddenly, for no apparent reason, these birds descend and begin to fly low over the water. That's all, wait for the storm ... And as if after a while the wind intensifies, clouds often come in, and a storm begins.

This pattern eventually became a special sign of sailors. And in ancient times, when there were no barometers yet, instruments showing pressure in the atmosphere, this sign more than once saved sea vessels, whose captains, seeing such behavior of petrels, urgently brought their ships into bays where they could wait out the storm. Hence the name of these birds, the petrel, portends a storm.

Those who were lucky enough to visit the open ocean, of course, could not help but notice that several birds that are not similar to each other behave this way. One gets the impression that they are some kind of distant relatives. And indeed it is. After all, there are several dozen species of petrels. Only over the expanses of the Russian seas there are 7 species of them: thin-billed, levant, gray, small, large variegated, pale-footed and buller petrels.

Special interest represent petrels nesting in Antarctica and nearby islands. There is the birthplace of the largest - the Giant petrel, whose wingspan is more than 2nd meters.

The most beautiful snow petrels nest there at a distance of 300 km from the coast in the depths of Antarctica and on the Antarctic islands: South Shetland, Bouvet, South Georgia, South Sandwich, South Orkney, Balleny and Scott.

Enough large bird up to half a meter in size and a wingspan of up to 120 cm. Dense dark-gray plumage, white chest, black beak and legs give it a bold, swift look. And long powerful wings give him the opportunity to stay in the air for a long time without much effort, without moving his wings at all, but simply soaring in the wind.

Therefore, the petrel spends almost all the time at sea. He is not afraid of even the most difficult weather conditions. On the contrary, since his food is mainly small fish, invertebrate marine animals, during heavy seas, his food is on the surface of the water and he can eat enough, grabbing krill or fish from the crests of the waves. The long hook-shaped beak with sharp edges allows it to hold even the most slippery fish or other marine life.

The paws of the petrel are rather poorly developed, and are located far behind, so on land it moves with difficulty, more often, for stability, it simply rests on its chest and wings. But on land, he spends only the mating season. The Antarctic petrel nests mainly on the coast, often choosing a place on steep cliffs. The female lays only one single egg with a white shell. Moreover, the egg is unusually large compared to the size of the bird itself. Incubation lasts about 40 days, and after another month the petrel cub already begins to fly.

It is somewhat smaller in size than the Antarctic one and differs from it mainly in color. It has an absolutely white plumage, against which a black beak and dark paws stand out. Snow petrels are excellent swimmers, and Antarctic waters are their native element. They feed mainly on small fish, mollusks and crustaceans. Sometimes they do not disdain carrion. You can often see how these snow-white birds accompany ocean vessels, feeding on various food waste. You will not see the snow petrel in the northern hemisphere, it almost never crosses the equator and is therefore incorrectly considered the southernmost bird on the planet.

In addition, the snow petrel tries to nest further away, deep into the continent, often at a distance of up to 400 or more kilometers from the coast. They nest most often in colonies, placing nests close to each other, at a distance of one and a half to two meters. In late November, mid-December, the female lays one egg, which she and the male incubate alternately. Since nesting sites are located far from the coast, one of the pair can fly away for food for several days, while the other incubates the egg. Having eaten to satiety, the husband changes the female and incubates the egg himself, and she flies to feed.

After the chick hatches from the nest, snow petrels do not leave him alone for the first few days, one of the parents is always with him. And somewhere in a week, the chick sets its own thermoregulation, and parents can leave it even for 2-3 days, flying away for food. After a month and a half of rearing, the snow petrel chick begins to fly. According to ornithologists, there are now about 4.5 million individuals of these beautiful and amazing birds in Antarctica.

It is the largest of the petrel family. It can be up to 80 centimeters or more in size, and the wingspan can reach more than two meters. They are mostly dark-colored birds with gray-brown, and sometimes blackish-brown plumage. The head and neck are lighter, the beak is powerful with sharp edges, up to 10 centimeters long, yellow in color and with a greenish end. In general, the color of the plumage and beak changes with age in these birds, and the giant petrels acquire the same color by about 7 years. It is by coloring that you can guess their age.

But there are also albinos among them, whose plumage is white. The head of birds of this species is light, there are brown specks on the neck and chest, and in some places along the body there are black feathers. Otherwise, they do not differ from their gray counterparts.

Giant petrels are practically omnivorous and their main food is any carrion. These are dead sea animals and birds. At sea, they eat fish, squid, Antarctic krill, pinniped feces and everything that comes afloat. Sometimes they attach themselves to fishing vessels and accompany them, eating waste from fish cutting dumped into the sea. Giant petrels are practically the most powerful birds in Antarctica, and given that there are no land predators, these huge voracious birds play their role. Quite often they are engaged in a real robbery. They steal penguin and bird eggs, attack chicks and eat the corpses of fallen penguins. Smaller birds are sometimes killed, including petrels and small penguins. The photo shows how this robber behaves.

Giant petrels usually nest in open areas. The female lays one single egg, which is three times the size of a chicken. His parents incubate in turn, replacing each other in order to feed themselves. Two months later, a chick hatches from the egg, which they feed for more than three months. Giant petrels feed their chick at night because they are busy hunting during the day. The giant petrel chick grows very fast. In addition, he is very active and even shows aggressiveness. As soon as some bird approaches him, he not only does not run away, but, on the contrary, attacks himself. At the enemy, he spits out a caustic, disgusting-smelling liquid, which makes him retreat. So even in the absence of parents, he may well stand up for himself.

And when autumn comes, giant petrels fly to warmer northern regions, leaving the chicks to fend for themselves. Involuntarily, young petrels, in order to survive, themselves learn to fly and get their own food. When they are a little older and stronger, they fly north on their own, where they join other adult petrels.

Giant petrels have an amazing feeling that science cannot yet explain. After all, petrels often fly thousands of kilometers from the place where they are born, but at the same time, somehow, they always find their way back. An experiment was conducted when one young petrel was taken 5000 kilometers from the nesting site. After he was released, he was already at home 12 days later. It is simply not probable how he could navigate, because he had never been to these places, but nevertheless it is a fact. It is impossible to imagine the harsh Antarctic without this amazing bird.

Domain: eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Type of: chordates

Class: Birds

Squad: petrels

Family: Petrel

Genus: True petrel

Why are petrels so named?

Petrels spend almost their entire lives above the seas and oceans, and on land they appear only during the laying of eggs. Before a storm, these birds rise from the water surface into the air, where they are forced to stay for a long time until the weather clears up. A large number of these birds sit on the stern of a passing ship, as if warning sailors of an impending storm. Therefore, they were called petrels.

Range, habitats

The distribution area and habitats of petrels directly depend on the species characteristics of the bird.. Fulmars are birds of the northern waters, distributed circumpolarly. Nesting in the Atlantic Ocean is noted on the islands to the northeast North America, Franz Josef Land of Greenland and Novaya Zemlya, up to the territory of the British Isles, and in the Pacific Ocean the bird nests from Chukotka to the Aleutian and Kuril Islands.

The Cape dove is very well known to sailors in the southern latitudes, which constantly follows ships and equips its nests on the coast of Antarctica or the surrounding islands.

The common petrel breeds on the islands of European and African coasts, and in the Pacific Ocean, nesting has been observed from the Hawaiian Islands to California. The slender-billed petrels breed in the island territories of Bass Strait, as well as around Tasmania and off the coast of South Australia.

The giant petrel is a common inhabitant of the seas in the southern hemisphere. Birds of this species most often nest in the territories of the South Shetland and Orkney, as well as the Malvinas Islands.

Appearance

In length, an amazing and courageous bird reaches 30-40 cm. The body weight is a third of a kilogram. The wingspan is 90-95 cm. This petrel has a snow-white plumage, on which a black beak and eyes of the same color stand out in contrast. The legs are dark, and the fingers are connected by swimming membranes. The beak is very strong and curved at the end. On the top of the beak is a short hollow tube. Inside it is divided into two halves by a longitudinal partition. This tube is nothing but the nostrils. Thanks to this adaptation, the bird has a good sense of smell.

She also has very good eyesight, and her hearing is beyond praise. Living in the cold south, the snow petrel has virtually no enemies. Accordingly, the number of this species is very high. The number of heads today is approaching the figure of 5 million.

Kinds

Cape doves or Cape petrels

The weight of the bird is from 250 to 300 g, the body length is about 36 cm, the wingspan is up to 90 cm. The wings are wide, the tail is short, rounded. The upper side of the wings is decorated with a black and white pattern with two large white spots. The head, chin, sides of the neck and back are black. The species is distributed in the subantarctic zone.

blue petrel

A small species with a wingspan of up to 70 cm. The plumage is gray on the back, head and wings. The top of the head is whitish. The beak is blue. The legs are blue with pink membranes. The bird is widespread on the subantarctic islands in the area of Cape Horn.

Species of the subfamily Puffininae fly by gliding and flapping their wings frequently. These birds are excellent at diving for prey under water.

Westland shearwater

The body length of the bird is up to 50 cm. The beak is of a characteristic hook-shaped shape. The bird is painted completely black. Found only in New Zealand.

Greater Spotted Shearwater

The body length of the bird is up to 51 cm, the wingspan is up to 122 cm. The back is colored dark brown with a white stripe in the back of the head and white feathers on the tail. Belly is white. A black-brown cap is visible on the head. The beak is black. Lives in the South Atlantic.

gray petrel

Body length is from 40 to 50 cm, wingspan is about 110 cm. Plumage color is dark gray or dark brown, almost black. The underside of the wings is silvery. The bird nests on the southern islands of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Antarctic petrel

Quite a large bird up to half a meter in size and with a wingspan of up to 120 cm. Dense dark-gray plumage, white chest, black beak and legs give it a bold, swift look. And long powerful wings give him the opportunity to stay in the air for a long time without much effort, without moving his wings at all, but simply soaring in the wind. Therefore, the petrel spends almost all the time at sea. He is not afraid of even the most difficult weather conditions.

The long hook-shaped beak with sharp edges allows it to hold even the most slippery fish or other marine life. The paws of the petrel are rather poorly developed, and are located far behind, so on land it moves with difficulty, more often, for stability, it simply rests on its chest and wings. But on land, he spends only the mating season.

The Antarctic petrel nests mainly on the coast, often choosing a place on steep cliffs. The female lays only one single egg with a white shell. Moreover, the egg is unusually large compared to the size of the bird itself. Incubation lasts about 40 days, and after another month the petrel cub already begins to fly.

snow petrel

They nest most often in colonies, placing nests close to each other, at a distance of one and a half to two meters. In late November, mid-December, the female lays one egg, which she and the male incubate alternately. Since nesting sites are located far from the coast, one of the pair can fly away for food for several days, while the other incubates the egg. Having eaten to satiety, the husband changes the female and incubates the egg himself, and she flies to feed.

Small-billed petrel

The slender-billed shearwater is brown, except for lighter underwings. Its body length is 40-45 cm, wingspan approaches 1 m. It nests in burrows in huge colonies on the coasts of South Australia and Tasmania. The slender-billed petrel makes long transequatorial migrations, reaching the Bering Sea. This is a numerous species.

giant petrel

Small petrel

The Lesser Petrel is found en masse in winter in the waters of the Black Sea. It justifies its name “small” because it is really smaller than other petrels: its wing length is 21.5–24.8 cm. The Lesser Petrel breeds on the islands of the North Atlantic Ocean, mainly in the area of the coasts of Europe and North Africa and in Bermuda. In addition, it breeds on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, east of Sardinia, and in the Aegean Sea. On wintering grounds and winter migrations, it appears in the Black Sea and, to a lesser extent, in the Sea of Azov.

Small petrels nest mainly on rocky islands - in rock crevices or in burrows dug in soft ground. Sometimes burrows are up to 1.5 m long. The duration of incubation is slightly more than 50 days. On the 62-63rd day of life, the chick is already feathered, and by this time the parents stop feeding it. Having starved for five days, the chick crawls out of the hole, returns to it again, crawls out again, and only after ten days of hunger strike goes to the sea. The path is difficult for him: the young bird hobbles, helping itself with its wings and even its beak. It happens that the small petrel does not have time to get to the sea in one night and then hides in a hole, crevice or under a stone for a day, or even just sits with its eyes closed, without moving in one place.

Lifestyle

The petrel obviously gravitates towards open sea spaces, approaching the shore only during the nesting period. Often sits on steep, uneven shores, however, preference is given to small rocky islands located in the open sea. The rest of the year flies over the sea at a distance of many thousands of kilometers from the nesting site.

Forms colonies. In mid-May - mid-July, in a rock crevice, in a grotto or between stones, it lays a single white egg, which is taken care of by both parents for about 53 days. The chick stays in the nest for about 3 months. There is only one clutch per year. Petrels are monogamous, pairs staying together for many years. It feeds mainly on fish. Soars for a long time over the crest of the wave.

At night, while in the colony, it makes sounds similar to complaints or cries of a newborn. A few days before departure from the nest, the parents leave the chick, and he loses a little in weight, which makes it easier for him to fly. The pair shows a clear attachment to the nesting site.

Petrel food

Petrels, along with storm petrels, feed on fairly small fish and all kinds of crustaceans that swim near the surface. As needed, such birds perform short dives. A significant part of large petrels consume simply huge amounts of squid. Albatrosses rarely dive and often land on the water, as well as fulmars and giant petrels that feed from the surface of the water.

At night, such birds very willingly feed on squid, which rise to the water surface in large numbers, and during the day, schooling fish, garbage from passing ships or all kinds of carrion become the basis of the food ration. Giant petrels are, perhaps, the only representatives of tubenose that are able to actively attack the nesting of the youngest penguins and eat young birds.

Reproduction and offspring

As a rule, adult petrels return to familiar breeding grounds, even if they are located very far away. There is too much competition in nesting areas in large and too crowded bird colonies located on small islands.

On the coastal zone, between all the nesting representatives of petrels, there are quite complex ceremonies, and the birds themselves not only fight, but also scream and cackle loudly. This behavior is typical for birds trying to defend their territory.

The typical features of bird nests have some notable differences in different types petrel. For example, albatrosses prefer to clear the surface and then build a mound of soil and vegetation. Petrels nest directly on ledges, as well as at the soil level, but a significant part of them, along with storm petrels, are able to dig special holes in soft ground or use natural cracks of sufficient size.

Before the chick leaves its native nest, the parent pair flies off to molt to the sea, where during the hungry period, molting birds noticeably lose their weight.

Males often remain guarding the nest for several days, while females feed at sea or go to recuperative feeding. The paired birds do not feed each other, but alternately incubate the egg for 40-80 days. The chicks that were born in the first days feed on delicate and fatty foods in the form of semi-digested marine organisms burped by adult birds.

Petrel chicks grow quite quickly, therefore, having matured a little, they are able to remain unattended by their parents for several days. The young of small species begin to fly about one and a half months after birth, and larger species make their first flight after about 118-120 days.

natural enemies

Apart from humans visiting bird nesting sites, diving petrels have few natural enemies. Of particular danger is the south polar skua, which destroys bird nests and can eat immature chicks. Most petrels defending themselves against a threat are able to spit out oily-type gastric contents for a sufficient distance.

Common petrels are real long-livers; in the wild, the age of such a bird may well reach half a century or more.

In some species, including the fulmar, this habit or fear response makes flying much easier. The ejection of a jet of foul-smelling liquid is carried out about a meter, with a fairly high accuracy. The natural enemies of small-sized birds include the hueca shepherd, as well as rats and cats brought to the island territories.

Population and species status

In a common family of petrels, representatives differ not only in size, but also in population size. For example, fulmars are very numerous birds. Their number in the Atlantic is about 3 million, and in the Pacific Ocean - about 3.9-4.0 million individuals. The total number of individuals of the Antarctic petrel varies between 10-20 million, and the global population of the snow petrel is stable, at about two million.

The breeding population of the blue petrel on the Kerguelen Islands does not exceed 100-200 thousand pairs, and on the Crozet and Prince Edward Islands there are several tens of thousands of pairs of this species. Formally, the hunting of the Mediterranean petrel was banned only in Italy and France, but some bird colonies are also protected on the islands near Corsica.

Video

Sources

http://national-travel.ru/arctic/flora-fauna/burevestnik.html http://www.tepid.ru/snow-petrel.html