Spectacled Petrel

About the Spectacled Petrel

The spectacled petrel (Procellaria conspicillata) is a rare seabird that nests only on the high western plateau of Inaccessible Island in the South Atlantic Tristan da Cunha group. It is one of the largest petrels that nests in burrows. This species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the white-chinned petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis).

The spectacled petrel was formally described in 1844 by the English ornithologist John Gould and given the binomial name Procellaria conspicillata. The genus Procellaria had been introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. The genus name is from the Latin procella meaning "storm" or "gale". The specific epithet conspicillata is from Latin conspicillum meaning "place to look from" and hence "spectacled". The word petrel is derived from St. Peter and the story of his walking on water. This is in reference to the petrel's habit of appearing to run on the water to take off. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.

The genus Procellaria is a member of the family Procellariidae, and the order Procellariiformes. As a member of the Procellariiformes, they share... Wikipedia →