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The gadfly petrels or Pterodroma are a genus of about 35 species of petrels, part of the seabird order Procellariiformes. The gadfly petrels are named for their speedy weaving flight, as if evading gadflies . The flight action is also reflected in the name Pterodroma, from Ancient Greek pteron, "wing" and dromos, "runner".
The Galápagos petrel is one of the 35 species of gadfly petrels within the family Procellariidae and order Procellariiformes. [6] This is one of the most primitive bird orders, and all of its members are collectively referred to as "petrels". [6] Taxonomically, its genus and family are extremely complex and are often subject to revision. [6]
The Fiji petrel (Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi), also known as MacGillivray's petrel, is a small, dark gadfly petrel. The Fiji petrel was originally known from one immature specimen found in 1855 on Gau Island, Fiji by naturalist John MacGillivray on board HMS Herald who took the carcass to the British Museum in London. It was rediscovered in ...
One of the smallest petrels, Cook's petrel is typically 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in) in length with a 65–66 cm (26–26 in) wingspan and a weight of around 200 g (7.1 oz). Its colouration is typical of gadfly petrels: pale grey upperparts with a dark grey "M" on the wings and white underparts. [3]
The Juan Fernández petrel (Pterodroma externa) is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. It nests on a single island off the coast of Chile, in the Juan Fernández Archipelago . It was previously classified as a subspecies of the white-necked petrel ( Pterodroma cervicalis ), which is found in tropical waters of the Pacific and ...
Fea's petrel (Pterodroma feae) is a small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus, Pterodroma. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of the soft-plumaged petrel (P. mollis), but they are actually not closely related at all. However, P. feae is very closely related to Zino's petrel and Desertas petrel, two other species recently split from ...
The gadfly petrels and the Kerguelen petrel mainly feed at night. In so doing they can take advantage of the nocturnal migration of cephalopods and other food species towards the surface. [20] [45] The fulmarine petrels are generalists, which for the most part take many species of fish and crustacea.
Although the systematics on this species has not yet been definitively established, provisionally some authorities have split the Desertas petrel, separating the Desertas breeding birds from those in the Cape Verde archipelago, [3] while others consider it a subspecies of the Fea's petrel. The species is named after its breeding grounds, which ...