Hydrobates furcatus
The Fork-tailed Storm Petrel (Hydrobates furcatus) is a small, ethereal seabird of the North Pacific, characterized by its distinctive forked tail, a feature uncommon among storm petrels. Averaging 20-23 cm (8-9 inches) in length with a wingspan of 46 cm (18 inches) and weighing 45-60 grams (1.6-2.1 ounces), its plumage is a subtle combination of soft grey upperparts, a paler greyish-white underside, and a prominent white rump that contrasts with its dark primaries and a faint dark carpal bar...
Primarily an oceanic species, spending nearly its entire life far offshore in pelagic environments over cold-temperate and subarctic waters. It breeds exclusively on remote, predator-free islands and coastal cliffs, utilizing burrows or rock crevices for nesting.
Feeds primarily on small marine invertebrates, particularly copepods, amphipods, euphausiids, and other crustaceans, supplemented by small fish, squid, and fish oil or scraps scavenged from fishing vessels.
The Fork-tailed Storm Petrel is predominantly nocturnal at its breeding colonies, flying inland only under the cloak of darkness to avoid predatory gulls and raptors, yet it is diurnal while foraging at sea. Its foraging strategy involves surface-skimming and hydroplaning, where it patters its fe...
The Fork-tailed Storm Petrel is endemic to the North Pacific Ocean, with its breeding range extending across a vast arc from the Aleutian Islands and coastal Alaska south through British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. Significant breeding colonies are found on islands off the coasts of these r...
Least Concern
- The Fork-tailed Storm Petrel possesses an exceptional sense of smell, allowing it to locate dispersed patches of prey and its own breeding burrow in total darkness. - They exhibit a remarkable flight behavior often described as 'walking on water,' pattering their feet on the surface while hover...