Pterodroma hasitata
The Black-capped Petrel, or 'Diablotin' (little devil), is a medium-sized pelagic seabird belonging to the gadfly petrel genus, *Pterodroma*, renowned for its enigmatic nocturnal breeding habits and haunting calls. This distinctive species measures approximately 38-41 cm (15-16 inches) in length with a wingspan of 95-105 cm (37-41 inches), featuring a striking plumage pattern of sooty brown or black upperparts contrasting sharply with white underparts, a prominent white nape collar, and a whi...
Primarily pelagic, spending most of its life at sea over deep ocean waters. Breeds exclusively in remote, rugged mountainous regions, often above 1,500 meters (5,000 feet), in dense cloud forests or pine forests.
Feeds primarily on small fish, squid, and crustaceans, typically obtained by surface-seizing or dipping while flying over the ocean.
Black-capped Petrels are highly nocturnal at their breeding colonies, arriving and departing under the cover of darkness to avoid aerial predators like gulls and frigatebirds; however, they forage diurnally at sea. Foraging involves surface-seizing, dipping, and shallow plunges to catch prey, oft...
The breeding range of the Black-capped Petrel is critically restricted to the Greater Antilles, primarily on the island of Hispaniola, spanning both Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where they inhabit remote, high-altitude mountain forests. Small numbers are also confirmed breeding on Dominica, ...
Critically Endangered
- Known locally as 'Diablotin' (little devil) due to its ghostly, nocturnal calls at its mountain breeding colonies. - This species was believed to be extinct for over 150 years until its rediscovery in the 1960s. - Black-capped Petrels breed at incredibly high elevations, often above 2,000 meter...