Hydrobates melania
The Black Storm Petrel (Hydrobates melania) is a captivating pelagic seabird, distinguished by its entirely sooty-black plumage, deeply forked tail, and characteristic bounding flight. Measuring approximately 23 cm (9 inches) in length with a wingspan of about 46 cm (18 inches) and weighing 50-70 grams, it is notably the largest of the storm-petrels found in its North American range. Its long legs, which extend beyond the tail in flight, dark bill, and webbed feet are adapted for its ocean-dw...
This species is strictly pelagic, spending nearly its entire life far offshore in the open ocean, returning only to remote, predator-free islands for breeding.
Primarily consists of small fish, squid, and crustaceans, supplemented by zooplankton, offal, and oil slicks; it forages by surface-skimming and dipping.
Black Storm Petrels are largely nocturnal at their breeding colonies, arriving and departing under the cover of darkness to avoid aerial predators like gulls. At sea, they are diurnal, often foraging in mixed flocks with other seabirds and frequently associating with marine mammals like whales an...
The Black Storm Petrel has a relatively restricted breeding range, primarily nesting on offshore islands along the Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico, including the San Benito, Natividad, Cedros, and Guadalupe Islands. A significant portion of its population also breeds on the Channel Islan...
Least Concern
- The Black Storm Petrel is the largest of the storm-petrels found along the Pacific coast of North America. - They possess a distinctive musky odor, often noticeable when handling them, which comes from their preen oil. - These birds are masters of 'walking on water,' using their webbed feet to ...