Bulweria bulwerii
The Bulwer's Petrel, a compact and elegant member of the Procellariidae family, is a truly pelagic seabird of the tropical and subtropical oceans. Measuring approximately 26-28 cm (10-11 inches) in length with a wingspan of 66-70 cm (26-28 inches) and weighing 70-120 grams (2.5-4.2 oz), its plumage is uniformly sooty-brown or blackish, appearing almost entirely dark at sea. Distinctive field marks include its long, pointed wings, a pale band visible on the underwing formed by the primary shaf...
This is an exclusively pelagic species, spending most of its life over open ocean waters far from land. It breeds colonially on remote, rocky, and volcanic oceanic islands, typically utilizing crevices and burrows.
Their diet consists primarily of small fish, squid, and crustaceans, which they catch by surface-seizing or shallow pursuit-diving in open ocean waters.
Bulwer's Petrels exhibit a fascinating dichotomy in their daily activity: strictly nocturnal on their breeding colonies to avoid avian predators, but diurnal when foraging at sea. Their foraging strategy primarily involves surface-seizing small prey, though they are capable of shallow pursuit-div...
The Bulwer's Petrel boasts an extensive global distribution, breeding across numerous subtropical and tropical islands in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Key Atlantic breeding colonies are found in the Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde Islands. In the Pacific, significant popu...
Least Concern
- Named after Rev. James Bulwer, who collected the first specimen in Madeira in 1826. - Despite its small size, it can undertake trans-equatorial migrations covering thousands of kilometers. - Its distinctive wedge-shaped tail is a key identification feature, setting it apart from other small pet...