Guadalupe Storm Petrel

Guadalupe Storm-Petrel ( Oceanodroma macrodactyla )

The Guadalupe Storm-Petrel ( Oceanodroma macrodactyla ) is an extremely rare or already extinct seabird of the family of the petrels. It is endemic to Mexico's Pacific island of Guadalupe.

Description

The Guadalupe wave runner reaches a length of 23 centimeters. He sees the wave runners ( Oceanodroma leucorhoa ) are very similar, which also breeds on Guadalupe. He has lighter under wing-coverts. The beak is also wider and deeper at the base. The top is slate black. The rump is white. The wing-coverts are greyish brown. The springs have wide dark peaks. The upper tail-coverts, and under wing-coverts are white. The tail is deeply forked.

Way of life

The Guadalupe Storm-Petrel nests mainly in March. Breeding birds were observed in May or June. The nest, which is often located among pine trees, consists of a single egg. It is white and shows brown or lavender spots. It is placed in a padded with twigs and pine needles foxhole. About the life and wanderings of Guadalupe wave runner outside the breeding season is not known.

Status

Despite intensive research, there has been no reliable evidence more about the way since 1912. Search in the years 1922, 1925 and in the 1970s suggested will fail, as the first expedition during a breeding season in 2000. As a team from the San Diego Natural History Museum in June 2000 Guadalupe visited, they found only copies of the wave runner.

The decline of the Guadalupe - shaft rotor began with the invasion of goats and cats on Guadalupe in the late 19th century. About 50,000 goats destroyed the vegetation and trampling the eggs. The cats chased after chicks.