Gadfly petrel

The gadfly petrels are seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. These medium to large petrels feed on food items picked from the ocean surface.

The short, sturdy bills of the 30 Pterodroma species in this group are adapted for soft prey taken at the surface; they have twisted intestines for digesting marine animals which have unusual biochemistries.

Their complex wing and face marking are probably for interspecific recognition.

These birds nest in colonies on islands and are pelagic when not breeding. One white egg is laid usually in a burrow or on open ground. They are nocturnal at the breeding colonies.

The species are:

• Great-winged Petrel, Pterodroma macroptera
• Mascarene Petrel, Pterodroma aterrima
• Tahiti Petrel, Pterodroma rostrata
• White-headed Petrel, Pterodroma lessonii
• Black-capped Petrel, Pterodroma hasitata
• Bermuda Petrel, Pterodroma cahow
• Atlantic Petrel, Pterodroma incerta
• Phoenix Petrel, Pterodroma alba
• Mottled Petrel, Pterodroma inexpectata
• Providence Petrel, Pterodroma solandri
• Kerguelen Petrel, Pterodroma brevirostris
• Murphy's Petrel, Pterodroma ultima
• Kermadec Petrel, Pterodroma neglecta
• Magenta Petrel, Pterodroma magentae
• Herald Petrel, Pterodroma arminjoniana
• Soft-plumaged Petrel, Pterodroma mollis
• Fea's Petrel, Pterodroma feae
• Zino's Petrel or Madeira Petrel, Pterodroma madeira
• Barau's Petrel, Pterodroma baraui
• Dark-rumped Petrel, Pterodroma phaeopygia
• Juan Fernandez Petrel, Pterodroma externa
• White-necked Petrel, Pterodroma cervicalis
• Cook's Petrel, Pterodroma cookii
• Mas a Tierra Petrel, Pterodroma defilippiana
• Gould's Petrel, Pterodroma leucoptera
• Bonin Petrel, Pterodroma hypoleuca
• Black-winged Petrel, Pterodroma nigripennis
• Chatham Petrel, Pterodroma axillaris
• Stejneger's Petrel, Pterodroma longirostris
• Pycroft's Petrel, Pterodroma pycrofti
• Fiji Petrel Pterodroma macgillivrayi