Stejneger's Petrel

Taxobox
name = Stejneger's Petrel
status = VU | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Procellariiformes
familia =Procellariidae
genus = "Pterodroma"
species = "P. longirostris"
binomial = "Pterodroma longirostris"
binomial_authority = (Stejneger, 1893)

Stejneger's Petrel ("Pterodroma longirostris") is a species of seabird and a member of the gadfly petrels. The bird is 26-31 cm in size, with a 53-66 cm wingspan.

This species is highly pelagic, rarely approaching land, except to nest and rear young. It occurs in the Pacific Ocean, nesting in the Juan Fernandez Islands off Chile. It is a transequatorial migrant, finding its way to subtropical waters off Japan before returning to its nesting sites. It has been reported well off the west coast of the United States. Stejneger's Petrel uses burrows to nest in. It prefers slopes and ridges in areas of dense fern forests. Population of this bird is decreasing due to introduced cats on its breeding islands. It is considered a vulnerable species because of its restricted breeding range.

References

* Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is vulnerable,and the criteria used
* "National Geographic" "Field Guide to the Birds of North" "America" ISBN 0-7922-6877-6
*" Seabirds, an Identification Guide" by Peter Harrison, (1983) ISBN 0-7470-1410-8
*"Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 1", Josep del Hoyo editor, ISBN 84-87334-10-5

External links

* [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/search/species_search.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3892&m=0 BirdLife Species Factsheet.]