Juan Fernández Petrel

About the Juan Fernández Petrel

The Juan Fernández petrel (Pterodroma externa) is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. It nests on a single island off the coast of Chile, in the Juan Fernández Archipelago. It was previously classified as a subspecies of the white-necked petrel (Pterodroma cervicalis), which is found in tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The Juan Fernández petrel is a large species of gadfly petrel, 43 cm (17 in) long with a wingspan of 95–97 cm (37–38 in) and a mass of 500 g (1.1 lb). The upperparts are dark brownish-grey and there is a black M-shaped marking across the extended wings. The underparts are white, with the underside of the wing is edged black. The face is white, with a black "cap" extending below the eyes. The feet are yellow, dark brown at the tips. The bill is black with a hooked tip and houses the tubular nostrils that are unique to Procellariiformes.

Nesting habitat is high elevation (above 750 m (2,460 ft)) ridges, where it digs a 2–3 m (6 ft 7 in – 9 ft 10 in) burrow to raise one chick per year. Females lay a single, white egg in mid-November and both birds in a pair will take turns incubating the egg... Wikipedia →