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Murphy's Petrel

Murphy's Petrel

Pterodroma ultima

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Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species

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View on eBirdWikipedia

About the Murphy's Petrel

Murphy's petrel (Pterodroma ultima) is a species of seabird and a member of the gadfly petrels. The bird is 38–41 cm length, with a 97 cm wingspan, and weighs about 360 g. Its plumage is all dark sooty-grey, except for a pale chin, and pinkish legs; it does not exhibit sexual dimorphism. It was described by Robert Cushman Murphy in 1949, which is the source of the species' common name. Murphy's petrels take unusually long feeding trips during incubation.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Pterodroma ultima
Family
Shearwaters and Petrels
Order
Procellariiformes

Similar species

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

  • Barolo Shearwater Puffinus baroli
  • Bermuda Petrel Pterodroma cahow
  • Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata
  • Black-vented Shearwater Puffinus opisthomelas
  • Black-winged Petrel Pterodroma nigripennis
  • Bonin Petrel Pterodroma hypoleuca
  • Buller's Shearwater Ardenna bulleri
  • Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii
  • Cape Verde Shearwater Calonectris edwardsii
  • Christmas Shearwater Puffinus nativitatis
  • Cook's Petrel Pterodroma cookii
  • Cory's Shearwater Calonectris borealis

Know when the Murphy's Petrel turns up near you

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