Band-rumped Storm Petrel
Madeira Petrel ( Oceanodroma castro )
The Madeira Petrel ( Oceanodroma castro ) is a monotypic species of the family of the petrels. It occurs in the eastern North Atlantic, and the eastern and western North Pacific off.
Description
The Madeira Petrel is 19-21 cm body length less than the very similar wave runners. Due to the similarity with this type, it is very difficult to determine. It is up to the white, square Bürzelfleck and some feathers on flanks and under tail-coverts very dark. The top is sooty black, the underside rather sooty brown, the elytra are brightened somewhat. However, this band on the arm wing falls from diffuse than in the wave runners. The weak fork of the tail can be seen at sea barely. The flight is straighter and faster than other, similar species, the wing beats fall out weaker.
The Madeira wave runner weighs 29-56 grams. The wingspan is 44-46 centimeters.
Voice
The nature calls at night in their burrows from which a cooing kr- rrrr or a high - ch'i is wih to hear, that sounds like the squeak of a finger on a glass plate.
Distribution and population
The breeding areas of these Sturmschwalbenart are the islands of the eastern North Atlantic from the Azores and Madeira to Ascension and St. Helena. The species also breeds in the Pacific Ocean east of Japan, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai and on the Galapagos Islands. The largest European breeding populations occur in the Azores and Madeira. Brooded on the Azores 1997 900-1250 breeding pairs and Madeira in 1994 2000-2500 breeding pairs.
In Europe, the species is a rare exception guest with few qualifications, among others in the UK, Ireland, France and Spain. In Central Europe the species has been observed only once in December 1999, after an individual of this type was drifted by storm as far as Switzerland.
Way of life
The habitat of the Madeira wave runner all year round warm, deep sea areas. It breeds on small, uninhabited islands. The colonies are often located in the vicinity of breeding colonies of white face - petrel. The diet consists mainly of crustaceans and fish, which are absorbed by the water surface.