Bulwer's Petrel

Bulweria bulwerii
For a Petrel, the Bulwer's Petrel is relatively small. Its entire body length does not normally get larger than 10in (compared to some of their cousins that can be more than double or triple that!).

Just like those cousins, the Bulwer's Petrel is a seabird that spends huge portions of its time living flying across the open sea. They have large wingspans compared to their body length (up to 3ft!) that allow them to soar long distances without using large amounts of energy. They feed on very small creatures that live at the ocean's surface, snatching them while in flight.

The Bulwer's Petrels do come ashore in order to breed, and their nesting sites are typically in the small islands chains of the Atlantic Ocean, though some populations make it to the Pacific as well. They breed in large colonies before dispersing again to fly across the oceans.

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Atlantic Islands
Size : Length up to 10ft (25cm), Wingspan up to 3ft (.9m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Procellariiformes
Family : Procellariidae -- Genus : Bulweria-- Species : B. bulwerii
Image : Peiwen Chang

Related Posts:

  • Snowy SheathbillChionis albusMeet the Snowy Sheathbill-- the only bird species in Antarctica that is primarily land dwelling and widespread. They are endemic to the continent and the nearby southern Islands, though very rare vagrants sometim… Read More
  • Parasitic JaegerThe Parasitic Jaeger, sometimes refereed to as the Arctic or Parasitic Skua, is a seabird that spends half its time in Northern Europe and Asia, as well as in the high latitudes of North America. They breed during the summert… Read More
  • Rhinoceros AukletCerorhinca monocerataMeet the Rhinoceros Auklet, a seabird that is a close relative to the more well-known Puffins. Like Puffins, they live in cold arctic areas-- specifically the northern Pacific Ocean.One curious feature of… Read More
  • Bulwer's PetrelBulweria bulweriiFor a Petrel, the Bulwer's Petrel is relatively small. Its entire body length does not normally get larger than 10in (compared to some of their cousins that can be more than double or triple that!).Just like … Read More
  • Australasian Gannet Morus serratorMeet the Autralasian Gannet, a large white, black, and yellow seabird that lives around Australia, New Zealand, and a handful of other nearby islands. They breed in massive coastal colonies, with the largest gro… Read More