Pseudobulweria rostrata
The Tahiti Petrel, *Pseudobulweria rostrata*, is a medium-sized, highly pelagic seabird belonging to the Procellariidae family, a group known as 'tube-nosed seabirds'. Physically, it is characterized by its dark sooty-brown upperparts and contrasting white underparts, a distinctive diagonal dark band on the underwing that stretches from the carpal joint to the body, and a stout, dark, hooked bill. Measuring approximately 38-40 cm in length with a wingspan of 87-102 cm and weighing between 300...
This petrel is primarily pelagic, inhabiting deep tropical and subtropical waters of the Pacific Ocean, returning exclusively to remote, often steep and forested, oceanic islands for breeding.
Their diet primarily consists of cephalopods (squid), small pelagic fish, and various crustaceans, which they catch via surface-seizing and shallow pursuit-diving.
Tahiti Petrels exhibit distinct behaviors adapted to their pelagic and island-breeding lifestyle. While at sea, they are largely diurnal, engaging in extensive foraging, but switch to nocturnal activity at their breeding colonies to minimize predation risk. Their foraging strategy involves surfac...
The breeding range of the Tahiti Petrel is restricted to a scattering of high islands across the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean. Significant breeding colonies are found in French Polynesia (including Tahiti, Moorea, and the Marquesas Islands), American Samoa, Fiji (notably on Gau and Vanu...
Near Threatened
- Tahiti Petrels are known to undertake foraging trips of over 1000 km, sometimes up to 4000 km, while still provisioning a single chick at the nest. - Their breeding colonies are notoriously difficult to locate due to their remote island locations, nocturnal activity, and often dense vegetation,...