Birds of the World BETA

○ ← PROCELLARIIFORMES: Hydrobatidae (Northern Storm Petrels) →

Genus: Oceanodroma (16 species)

Storm Petrels are small birds, around 20 cm., that live far from shore, nest on remote islands, and skip along the ocean surface picking up floating food items. Oceanodroma are found in northern hemisphere ocaens. Some are active at night at both the nest and when feeding, for one reason to avoid predators.


Band-rumped Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma castro) Range: PO, AO: c North Carolina, United States
Photograph by Julio Mulero Copyright and usage info This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported. In short: you are free to share the file for non-commercial purposes under the conditions that you appropriately attribute it, and that you distribute it only under a license identical to this one. You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.

White rump extends to flanks.

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Ainley's Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma cheimomnestes) Range: PO: winter breeder, Guadalupe I. (off 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 (Oceanodroma furcata) Range: PO: n Pacifica Municipal Pier, California,
Photograph by Aaron Maizlish Copyright and usage info This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0 License. You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the work, and to adapt the work under the following conditions: You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work) If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one.


Ashy Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma homochroa) Range: PO: ne Farallon Islands, California, United States
Photograph by Christopher Adler © All Rights Reserved.

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


Hornby's Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma hornbyi) Range: PO: se Lima, Peru
Photograph by Graham Ekins © All Rights Reserved.


Hornby's Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma hornbyi) Range: PO: se Lima, Peru
Photograph by Graham Ekins © All Rights Reserved.

Unlike most Storm Petrels, breeds on mainland Peru and perhaps Chile. Also called Ringed Storm Petrel for distinctive ring around neck.

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Cape Verde Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma jabejabe) Range: AO: Cape Verde Is.


Leach's Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa leucorhoa) Range: PO, AO: n, c 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.


Markham's Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma markhami) Range: PO: e 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 (Oceanodroma matsudairae) Range: IO, PO: c IO, w PO


Black Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma melania) Range: PO: e 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 This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported. In short: you are free to share the file for non-commercial purposes under the conditions that you appropriately attribute it, and that you distribute it only under a license identical to this one. You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.

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


Least Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma microsoma) Range: PO: ne Oaxaca, Mexico
Photograph by Nigel Voaden © 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 (Oceanodroma monorhis) Range: IO, PO: n IO, w PO

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Monteiro's Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma monteiroi) Range: AO: Azores

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Townsend's Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma socorroensis) Range: PO: summer breeder, Guadalupe I. (off 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 (Oceanodroma tethys) Range: PO: e
Photograph by Mick Dryden Copyright and usage info My photos are free to use provided that you retain my name on the image or visibly display © http://www.jerseybirds.co.uk with the image. I would also like to know where the image is being used.

Note white rump extends into tail.

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Tristram's Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma tristrami) Range: PO: nw

© Tom Friedel - All Rights Reserved, except for images and data otherwise noted.       Colombia       Panama       Ecuador       Costa Rica       Mexico
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