Pterodroma atrata
The Henderson Petrel, Pterodroma atrata, is a medium-sized, elusive seabird measuring approximately 35-37 cm in length with a wingspan of about 80 cm. It presents a uniformly dark sooty-brown plumage, giving it a somewhat featureless appearance at sea, which makes identification challenging as it can be easily confused with other dark petrels like Murphy's Petrel or the Herald Petrel, from which it was once considered a subspecies. Distinctive field marks are subtle, primarily its flight styl...
Primarily pelagic over open oceanic waters for most of its life, returning solely to dense Pisonia grandis forests on Henderson Island for nesting, typically at low elevations.
Primarily feeds on cephalopods (squid), supplemented by small fish and crustaceans, captured by surface-seizing or shallow plunge-diving in the open ocean.
Henderson Petrels are strictly nocturnal on their breeding grounds, arriving and departing colonies under the cover of darkness to avoid aerial predators, creating a chorus of distinctive calls during these hours. At sea, they are solitary or occur in loose aggregations. Foraging involves surface...
The Henderson Petrel's breeding range is extraordinarily restricted, being endemic solely to Henderson Island in the Pitcairn Group, a remote British overseas territory in the central South Pacific. Outside the breeding season, these birds disperse widely across the central and eastern South Paci...
Critically Endangered
- The Henderson Petrel is listed as Critically Endangered, primarily due to predation by introduced Polynesian Rats on its eggs and chicks. - It is one of the world's rarest seabirds, with an estimated breeding population of only a few thousand pairs. - This species is strictly nocturnal on its b...