| Fork-tailed storm petrel | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Procellariiformes |
| Family: | Hydrobatidae |
| Genus: | Hydrobates |
| Species: | H. furcatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Hydrobates furcatus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
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The fork-tailed storm petrel (Hydrobates furcatus) is a small seabird of the storm petrel family Hydrobatidae. It is the second-most abundant and widespread storm petrel (after Leach's storm petrel) and is the only bird in its family that is bluish-grey in colour.[2]
The fork-tailed storm petrel is pelagic, spending up to 8 months in the northern Pacific Ocean. They only return to land to breed, where they nest in a single colony. Their nests can be found in a rock crevice or small burrow, where a single egg is laid. Their breeding range is along the coast of the northern Pacific Ocean, extending from northern California to northeast Asia.[2]
They mainly feed on planktonic crustaceans, small fish, and squid, but also consume offal. Similarly to other storm petrels, they forage by picking food off the surface of the water while in flight.[2]
- ^ BirdLife International (2020). "Hydrobates furcatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22698572A168979865. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22698572A168979865.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ a b c "Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel - Introduction | Birds of North America Online". birdsna.org. Retrieved 2018-09-19.