Pterodroma feae
The Cape Verde Petrel, *Pterodroma feae*, is a medium-sized gadfly petrel, measuring 33-35 cm in length with a wingspan of 86-94 cm and weighing approximately 250-400 grams. It exhibits distinctive dark grey-brown upperparts, including a cap that extends below the eye, contrasting sharply with clean white underparts. A prominent dark 'M' or 'W' pattern is visible across its upperwings, particularly in flight, serving as a key field mark for identification. Its stout, black bill is hooked, cha...
This strictly pelagic seabird primarily inhabits the open ocean, only venturing ashore to breed on remote, steep-cliffed oceanic islands with vegetated slopes, often at higher elevations.
Their diet consists mainly of small fish, cephalopods (squid), and crustaceans, which they catch by surface-seizing or shallow-diving at sea.
Cape Verde Petrels are strictly nocturnal at their breeding colonies, an essential adaptation to avoid predation, while at sea they are silent and truly pelagic. They spend their entire lives over vast stretches of the North Atlantic, rarely touching land outside the breeding season. Their foragi...
The breeding range of the Cape Verde Petrel (*Pterodroma feae*) is highly restricted to a few islands within the Cape Verde archipelago, specifically Fogo, Santiago, Santo Antão, Brava, and São Nicolau. After the breeding season, these truly pelagic birds undertake extensive oceanic migrations, d...
Near Threatened
- The Cape Verde Petrel was long considered conspecific with the Desertas Petrel (*P. deserta*) and Zino's Petrel (*P. madeira*), making identification at sea a significant challenge for even experienced birders. - They are one of the few gadfly petrels that regularly venture into the colder, mor...