Birds of the World

    PROCELLARIIFORMES: Hydrobatidae (Northern Storm Petrels)  
Genus: Hydrobates (18 species)


Band-rumped Storm Petrel
Band-rumped Storm Petrel (Hydrobates castro)
Range: PO, AO: Azores (cold-season breeding), Madeira (hot-season breeding), Desertas, Salvage, Canary and Cape Verde is. (n to s Macaronesia, w of n Africa); Berlengas Is. (just w of c Portugal); islands off St. Helena (tropical se Atlantic Ocean), Boatswainbird I. (ju
North Carolina, United States  
   
Photograph by Julio Mulero     Copyright and usage info

White rump extends to flanks.

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Ainley's Storm Petrel (Hydrobates cheimomnestes) Vulnerable
Range: PO: winter breeder, is. Negro, Afuera and Gargoyle Rocks, off Guadalupe I. (w of Baja California, nw Mexico)
   


Split from Leach's Storm Petrel. Breeds on islands off west Mexico at a different time than Townsend's Storm Petrel (also split). Does not have white rump, but some Leach's also do not.

Fork-tailed Storm Petrel
Fork-tailed Storm Petrel (Hydrobates furcatus)
Range: PO: islands off n Kuril and Commander Is. (se Russia), Aleutian Is., and Gulf of Alaska to n California
Pacifica Municipal Pier, California,  
   
Photograph by Aaron Maizlish     Copyright and usage info


Ashy Storm Petrel
Ashy Storm Petrel (Hydrobates homochroa) Endangered
Range: PO: islands of Van Damme Cove (Mendocino Co.); Bird Rock (Pt. Reyes), and Farallon Is. (w of c California); Channel Is. (w of s California); Coronado Is. and I. de Todos Santos (w of nw Baja California, nw Mexico)
Farallon Islands, California, United States  
   
Photograph by Christopher Adler   © All Rights Reserved.

Note forked tail, medium size, and ashy body color.

Ringed Storm Petrel
Ringed Storm Petrel (Hydrobates hornbyi) Near Threatened
Range: PO: Atacama Desert, mostly in mts. 85 km inland (n Chile)
Lima, Peru  
   
Photograph by Graham Ekins   © All Rights Reserved.

Ringed Storm Petrel
Ringed Storm Petrel (Hydrobates hornbyi) Near Threatened
Range: PO: Atacama Desert, mostly in mts. 85 km inland (n Chile)
Lima, Peru  
   
Photograph by Graham Ekins   © All Rights Reserved.

Unlike most Storm Petrels, breeds on mainland Peru and perhaps Chile. Named for distinctive ring around neck. Was called Hornby's Storm Petrel.

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Cape Verde Storm Petrel (Hydrobates jabejabe)
Range: AO: is. Branco, Raso, off Boavista, and Rombo (ne, ec, and sw Cape Verde Is.; s Macaronesia, w of nw Africa)
 



Leach's Storm Petrel
Leach's Storm Petrel (Hydrobates leucorhous) Vulnerable
Range: PO, AO: ne Atlantic from s Iceland, Faroe Is., c Norway, Ireland and Scotland; nw Atlantic from s Labrador to Massachusetts; nw Pacific from ne Russia and ne Japan to Alaska and n, c Baja California (nw Mexico); also off sw Africa
Canary Islands, Spain  
   
Photograph by Stephen A. Daly   © All Rights Reserved.

May or may not have a V-shaped white band across rump that does not reach the tail. Note forked tail.

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Guadalupe Storm Petrel (Hydrobates macrodactylus) Critically Endangered
Range: MA: Guadalupe I. (w of Baja California, nw Mexico)
 


Nests on Guadalupe Island off west Mexico. Probably extinct.

Markham's Storm Petrel
Markham's Storm Petrel (Hydrobates markhami) Near Threatened
Range: PO: I. San Gallan and I. Independencia (=La Vieja, w and s of Paracas Pen., sc Peru), Atacama Desert to mts. 50 km inland between Arica and s of Iquique (n Chile)
Peru  
   
Photograph by Graham Ekins   © All Rights Reserved.

Similar to Black Storm Petrel but non-migratory and a bit browner.

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Matsudaira's Storm Petrel (Hydrobates matsudairae) Vulnerable
Range: IO, PO: Kita-Iwojima and Minami-Iwojima (Iwo=Volcano Is., s of Ogasawara=Bonin Is., s of Japan)
 



Black Storm Petrel
Black Storm Petrel (Hydrobates melania)
Range: PO: Channel Is. (w of s California), Is. de San Benito (w of c Baja California), Roca Consag, Isla San Luis, Isla Partida and Isla Cardonosa Este (e of n, nc, c Baja California, Gulf of California)
California, United States
  Northern migrant to tropical waters (Sept. to April), and a bit larger than other storm petrels.
   
Photograph by Julio Mulero     Copyright and usage info

Northern migrant to tropical waters (Sept. to April), and a bit larger than other storm petrels at 22 cm..

Least Storm Petrel
Least Storm Petrel (Hydrobates microsoma)
Range: PO: Is. de San Benito (w of c Baja California), Roca Consag, Isla San Luis, I. Partida and I. Cardonosa Este (e of n, nc, c Baja California, Gulf of California)
Spring Valley Lake, California,  
   
Photograph by Matt Grube   © All Rights Reserved.

Smallest storm petrel at around 16 cm.. Dark brown with no white rump, similar in coloration to larger Black Storm Petrel, or Markham's Storm Petrel.

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Swinhoe's Storm Petrel (Hydrobates monorhis) Near Threatened
Range: IO, PO: Verkhovsky and Karamzhin is. and satellite islets (sw of Vladivostok, Russia), off Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu (c Japan), Korean Pen., off Shandong and Guangdong (e China) and Taiwan; possibly also Macaronesia (off nw Africa)
 



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Monteiro's Storm Petrel (Hydrobates monteiroi) Vulnerable
Range: AO: hot-season breeding Azores: is. da Praia and de Baixo (e, se of Graciosa, nc Azores, n Macaronesia, w of Portugal)
 



European Storm Petrel
European Storm Petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus)
Range: AO: islets of ne North Atlantic from s Iceland and c Norway to n Spain, Canary Is. (c Macaronesia, w of nw Africa), w Africa, and w, nc Mediterranean Sea
South Africa  
   
Photograph by Graham Searll   © All Rights Reserved.


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Townsend's Storm Petrel (Hydrobates socorroensis) Endangered
Range: PO: summer breeder, is. Negro and Afuera, off Guadalupe I. (w of s Baja California, nw Mexico)
   


Split from Leach's Storm Petrel. Breeds on islands off west Mexico. Very similar to Leach's Storm Petrel.

Wedge-rumped Storm Petrel
Wedge-rumped Storm Petrel (Hydrobates tethys)
Range: PO: islands of n Galápagos and off coasts of c Peru and nc Chile
Spring Valley Lake, California,  
   
Photograph by Matt Grube   © All Rights Reserved.

Note white rump extends almost to the edge of the tail, and short legs that do not extend past the tail in flight.

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Tristram's Storm Petrel (Hydrobates tristrami)
Range: PO: Izu, Ogasawara (=Bonin) and formerly Iwo (=Volcano) is. (s of Japan), and Northwestern Hawaiian Is.
 




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