Birds
Elliot's Storm-petrel
Oceanites gracilis · also called white-vented storm petrel
Pattering its feet across the water close enough to shore to be watched from land, Elliot’s storm-petrel is one of the smallest members of its family, tied closely to the cold, productive Humboldt Current along the coasts of Peru and Chile.
Overview
Elliot’s storm-petrel, Oceanites gracilis, is a Least Concern seabird native to ocean and coastal habitat along the coasts of Peru and Chile. Its small size, unusual near-shore foraging habits, and close dependence on the Humboldt Current make it one of the more accessible and ecologically distinctive storm-petrel species found anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere.
A storm-petrel you can watch from the beach
While most storm-petrels roam far out at sea, rarely visible except from a boat, Elliot’s storm-petrel instead forages close enough to shore that it can regularly be observed from land, a habit that sets it apart from nearly all of its ocean-roaming relatives.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and generally stable across suitable coastal habitat along the Humboldt Current.
Elliot's Storm-petrel: common questions
How does Elliot's storm-petrel compare in size with other storm-petrels?
This species is one of the smallest storm-petrel species, noticeably more compact than many of its relatives found across the Southern Ocean.
Why is Elliot's storm-petrel unusual among storm-petrels?
This species regularly forages close to shore, one of the few storm-petrel species commonly observed from land rather than far out at sea like most of its relatives.
Why is Elliot's storm-petrel closely tied to the Humboldt Current?
This species depends heavily on the cold, nutrient-rich Humboldt Current for its food supply, relying on the productive waters it generates along the South American coast.
What does the white patch on Elliot's storm-petrel look like?
This species has a distinctive white patch of feathers under the tail, a feature reflected in one of its alternative common names, white-vented storm-petrel.