Birds
White-faced Storm-petrel
Pelagodroma marina · also called white-faced storm petrel
Bouncing across the ocean surface on long, dangling legs, a white-faced storm-petrel pushes off the water with both feet at once, a feeding style distinct from the fluttering patter used by most of its storm-petrel relatives.
Overview
The white-faced storm-petrel, Pelagodroma marina, is a small seabird native to ocean habitat across parts of the Southern Hemisphere and the North Atlantic. Its distinctive pale facial pattern, unusual bouncing feeding technique, and long-distance ocean movements make it one of the more behaviourally distinctive small seabirds found anywhere in the world’s oceans.
A different way of walking on water
While most storm-petrels patter their feet rapidly against the surface in a fluttering hover, the white-faced storm-petrel instead bounces across the water using its unusually long legs, a subtly different technique that sets it apart within its own family at a glance.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and generally stable across suitable breeding islands, though some colonies face localised pressure from introduced predators.
White-faced Storm-petrel: common questions
Why is it called the white-faced storm-petrel?
This species has a strikingly pale, white face contrasting with darker upperparts, a feature distinctive enough among storm-petrels to give the species its common name.
How does the white-faced storm-petrel feed differently from other storm-petrels?
This species feeds by bouncing across the ocean surface using long, dangling legs, pushing off the water with both feet at once rather than the rapid fluttering patter typical of many other storm-petrel species.
Where does the white-faced storm-petrel breed?
This species typically breeds in burrows dug into sandy or grassy soil on offshore islands, generally visiting the nest only after dark to reduce the risk of predation.
What threatens the white-faced storm-petrel on some breeding islands?
This species faces significant predation pressure from introduced rats and cats on some breeding islands, a threat not present during its natural, predator-free evolutionary history.