Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel

Hydrobates furcatus

Audubon Illustration

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

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About the Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel

The fork-tailed storm petrel (Hydrobates furcatus) is a small seabird of the storm petrel family Hydrobatidae. It is the second-most abundant and widespread storm petrel (after Leach's storm petrel) and is the only bird in its family that is bluish-grey in colour. The fork-tailed storm petrel is pelagic, spending up to 8 months in the northern Pacific Ocean. They only return to land to breed, where they nest in a single colony. Their nests can be found in a rock crevice or small burrow, where a single egg is laid. Their breeding range is along the coast of the northern Pacific Ocean, extending from northern California to northeast Asia. They mainly feed on planktonic crustaceans, small fish, and squid, but also consume offal.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name: Hydrobates furcatus
Family: Northern Storm-Petrels
Order: Procellariiformes

Similar species

Other members of the northern storm-petrels family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

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