Birds
Soft-plumaged Petrel
Pterodroma mollis · also called Bulwer's soft-plumaged petrel
Rising and diving steeply in the sharp, zigzagging flight typical of its genus, a soft-plumaged petrel breeds across an unusually wide scatter of islands stretching from subtropical waters to the subantarctic, a distribution few other petrel species can match.
Overview
The soft-plumaged petrel, Pterodroma mollis, is a Least Concern seabird native to ocean habitat spanning the South Atlantic, southern Indian Ocean, and parts of the South Pacific. Its fast, agile gadfly-petrel flight, unusually broad breeding distribution, and ongoing vulnerability to introduced predators make it one of the more widely dispersed and ecologically adaptable seabirds found across the Southern Hemisphere.
A single species spanning many latitudes
While most Southern Ocean seabirds specialise in either subtropical or subantarctic breeding conditions, the soft-plumaged petrel manages both, nesting on islands separated by enormous stretches of latitude and proving remarkably adaptable to very different climates.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread across a broad scatter of breeding islands, though some colonies have declined due to predation pressure from introduced rats and cats.
Soft-plumaged Petrel: common questions
How does the soft-plumaged petrel fly?
This species flies with the sharp, zigzagging pattern typical of gadfly petrels, rising and diving steeply on stiff wings even in relatively calm ocean conditions.
Where does the soft-plumaged petrel breed?
This species breeds across a wide scatter of islands spanning from subtropical waters to subantarctic latitudes, an unusually broad breeding distribution compared with many other petrel species.
What threatens the soft-plumaged petrel?
This species faces significant predation pressure from introduced rats and cats on several of its breeding islands, a threat that has contributed to population declines at some colonies.
Why does the soft-plumaged petrel visit its burrow only at night?
This species visits its nesting burrow only under cover of darkness, a strategy that helps it avoid predatory skuas and gulls that would otherwise target adults at the colony during daylight hours.