Zino's Petrel
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| Zino's Petrel Conservation status: Critical | ||||||||||||||
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| Pterodroma madeira Mathews,, 1934 |
The Zino's Petrel (Pterodroma madeira) is a small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of Soft-plumaged Petrel P. mollis.
It breeds in the north Atlantic in the mountains of the main island of Madeira. This endangered species nests in colonies in burrows. Fewer than 50 pairs are left.
This seabird is strictly nocturnal at the breeding sites to avoid predation by gulls. Like most petrels, its walking ability is limited to a short shuffle to the burrow.
This long-winged petrel has a grey back and wings, with a dark "W" marking across the wings. The undersides of the wings are dark and the belly is white. It has a fast impetuous flight. It picks planktonic food items from the ocean surface.
This species is 32–34 cm in length with a 80–86 cm wingspan. It is very similar to the Fea's Petrel, but is smaller and has a thinner black bill.