White-faced Storm-Petrel
White-faced Storm-Petrel
Pelagodroma marina
At a Glance
This pallid little seabird is sometimes found by birders who take boat trips far offshore from our southern Atlantic Coast. It flies low with an odd rocking motion, wings held out to the sides, dropping its long legs repeatedly to push off against a wave with its feet.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Gull-like Birds, Storm-Petrels
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Open Ocean
Region
Mid Atlantic, New England, Southeast
Behavior
Flap/Glide, Swimming, Undulating
Population
2.700.000
Range & Identification
Description
8" (20.5 cm). Gray-brown above, white below and on eyebrow, with long legs. Odd flight, gliding on stiff wings, rocking back and forth, touching feet down to water.
Size
About the size of a Robin, About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Black, Gray, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Broad, Rounded, Short, Tapered
Tail Shape
Rounded, Short, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Generally silent at sea.
Call Pattern
Flat, Undulating
Call Type
Raucous
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