Head to head
Wilson's Storm-petrel vs Storm-Petrel
Wilson's storm-petrel is itself a member of the storm-petrel family, so this comparison sets one record-setting species against the broader family overview.
| Wilson's Storm-petrel | Storm-Petrel | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Oceanites oceanicus | Hydrobatidae |
| Classification level | A single specific species | A family of many species |
| Population | Possibly the most numerous seabird on Earth | Varies by species; the family overall is widespread |
| Breeding range | Antarctica and sub-Antarctic islands | Oceans worldwide |
| Feeding technique | Patters feet rapidly against the surface | A similar pattering technique shared across the family |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern (most species) |
| Population trend | Stable | Stable |
| Habitat | Ocean, polar | Ocean |
Wilson's Storm-petrel vs Storm-Petrel: common questions
Is Wilson's storm-petrel part of the broader storm-petrel family?
Yes, Wilson's storm-petrel is a specific species within the storm-petrel family, Hydrobatidae, sharing the same surface-pattering foraging technique and nocturnal burrow-nesting habits found across the family.
Which one might be the single most numerous seabird species?
Wilson's storm-petrel specifically holds this distinction by some estimates, with a population thought to number in the tens of millions, a scale not attributed to the broader storm-petrel family as a whole.
Where does Wilson's storm-petrel breed compared to the wider family?
Wilson's storm-petrel breeds specifically on Antarctica and sub-Antarctic islands, while the broader storm-petrel family as a whole breeds across remote island and coastal colonies worldwide.