PROCELLARIIFORMES of South America
Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises albatrosses, shearwaters, and various type of petrels. Wings are long and narrow; feet are webbed, and the hind toe is undeveloped or non-existent. Plumage is predominantly black, white and gray. They are almost exclusively pelagic (feeding in the open ocean). They distributed across the world's oceans, with the highest diversity being around New Zealand. Procellariiformes mostly nesting on remote predator-free islands. Only a single egg is laid per nesting attempt. The various species within the order have a variety of migration strategies. Many species undertake regular trans-equatorial migrations. However, no albatrosses cross the migrate across the equator because they rely on wind assisted flight.
The order has a few unifying characteristics, starting with their tubular nasal passages enclosed in one or two tubes on their straight, deeply grooved bills with hooked tips. These passages are used for smelling which helps to locate patchily distributed prey at sea and may also help locate their nests within nesting colonies. Also, they have a stomach oil stored that can be used as a food source during their long flights and also as a defense mechanism. All birds have an enlarged nasal gland at the base of the bill, above their eyes. This gland is inactive in species that don't require it; however the Procellariiformes do require its use due to their drinking of ocean water. It removes salt that forms a 5% saline solution that drips out of their nose or is forcibly ejected in some petrels. [abstracted from Wikipedia]
The order has a few unifying characteristics, starting with their tubular nasal passages enclosed in one or two tubes on their straight, deeply grooved bills with hooked tips. These passages are used for smelling which helps to locate patchily distributed prey at sea and may also help locate their nests within nesting colonies. Also, they have a stomach oil stored that can be used as a food source during their long flights and also as a defense mechanism. All birds have an enlarged nasal gland at the base of the bill, above their eyes. This gland is inactive in species that don't require it; however the Procellariiformes do require its use due to their drinking of ocean water. It removes salt that forms a 5% saline solution that drips out of their nose or is forcibly ejected in some petrels. [abstracted from Wikipedia]
Petrels
Order Procellariiformes Family Procellariidae
The procellariid family is usually broken up into four fairly distinct groups; the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the prions, and the shearwaters. This web page contains the fulmarine petrels and will also eventually contain the gadfly petrels.
The fulmarine petrels or fulmar-petrels are a distinct group of petrels within the procellariidae family. They are the most variable of the four groups within the Procellariidae, differing greatly in size and biology. They are predominantly found in the Southern Ocean with one species, the Northern Fulmar, ranging in the North Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
Genus Macronectes
Petrel, Northern Giant Macronectes halli Found: Antarctic, South America, Australia
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3) Liam Quinn - South Georgia island in the Southern Atlantic
2) The blood of its face is from dinner.
Petrel, Southern Giant Macronectes giganteus Found: the Antarctic region, South America
Photographed by: 1) Cláudio Timm - Beagle Channel, Argentina 2) Charlie Westerinen - the Drakes Passage
3) James Slaughter - U.S.Antarctic Prograam
Genus Pagodroma - 1 species
Petrel, Snow Pagodroma nivea Found: - Antarctic region, South America
Photographed by: 1) Samuel Blanc 2) Mathieu Weber - Antartic 3) Mila Zinkova
Genus Pterodroma
Petrel, Cook's Pterodroma cookii Found: North America, South America, Australasia
Photographed by: 1, 2) Aviceda 3) AngrySunbird
Petrel, Herald also Trindade Petrel Pterodroma arminjoniana Found: North America, Brazil, Hawaii
Photographed by: 1, 2) John Gerrard Keulemans
1) Light phase 2) Dark phase
Petrel, Kermadec Pterodroma neglecta Found: North America, Asia, Australasia, Antarctica
Photograped by:1) Lance Andrewes - Meyer Island 2) Charlie Westerinen - Antarctica
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