New England Seabirds
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Signature Species
This web site is dedicated to Wilson's Storm-petrel. This is because a trip to Stellwagen Bank or almost any other canyon or bank in our area will see thousands of this delightful little bird which is vacationing in our northern seas. Unlike other Storm-petrels it is a ship follower and a scavenger.
The author has traveled to Antarctica where the bird breeds. At Brown Bluff on the Antarctic Peninsula a few birds were seen flying to and from the cliffs overhead. At sea we frequently saw an individual flying over the water. However nothing comes close to the thousands of these little birds swarming around the whale watching boats on Stellwagen Bank in the summer. Don't miss this wonderful show.
Yellow Feet?
Early field guides including the one from which the signature graphic of this web page was taken show Wilson's Storm-petrel with yellow webbing between the toes. This characteristic is almost never observed in the field without having the bird in hand. Modern field guides do not usually show this characteristic as it is not really a field mark.
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But look at
what Arthur H. Kopelman president and sponsor of the CRESLI
pelagics captured in this awesome photograph of a
Wilson's Storm-petrel clearly displaying yellow webs.
Veatch's Canyon, June 6, 2006 One of the advantages of our area is that many birders and many photographers are getting out there. Thanks for sharing. |
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When To See
Look for this bird from June
to October. The highest numbers are seen in July and early August. The bird is
best observed on very calm seas when you can see it skipping across the water
and picking up bits of food on the wing.
| The Right Storm-petrel To
Watch Wilson's is the Storm-petrel to watch as it readily approaches boats and can often be observed within 3 feet of the boat. It is not easy to photograph as it is small and quick. Notice the complete white tail band, the bands on the wings, and the legs trailing past the tail. |
 Photographed by Jim Wallius, the Fishing Birder and used with his permission. |
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Underside Ian Davis captured this view of Wilson's Storm-petrel which shows the underside as it banks toward the boat. Notice that the wings are dark underneath and that the white rump wraps on either side of the tail. Legs extend beyond tail with a hint of yellow webs. Photographed on the BBC 2007 June 30 pelagic. The close approach of this Storm-petrel and the thousands that swarm in our waters makes photographs like this possible. Thanks for sharing. |
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Some Storm-petrels patter their feet along the surface of the water when feeding. This is best observed on a calm ocean. When trying to identify a Storm-petrel look for pattering. In our area Wilson's Storm-petrel is best know for pattering on the surface.
Also observe the angle of the wings when pattering. Wilson's Storm-petrel, the wings are from the horizontal to a shallow V shape. This is hard to use to identify more elusive Storm-petrels because as you can see in the picture at the start of the Storm-petrels section, Wilson's will also hold wings more vertical.
Usually found in groups either resting on the ocean or
feeding.
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Here a Wilson's Storm-petrel patters on the ocean surface
with wings in a shallow V.
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| Glen Tepke captured this example of Wilson's Storm-petrel pattering on the water. Again notice the angle of the wings above the horizontal. |  |
Known to feed on oil from carcases. About 20 birds were observed feeding near the carcas of a Right Whale by the Newburyport Whale Watch just outside the mouth of the Merrimack River. See Whales Always Lose.
Southern Hemisphere Breeder
Two subspecies "O.o.oceanicus breeds in South Georgia, Crozets, Kerguelen, Falklands, Tierra del Fuego, islands off Cape Horn , and perhaps also at Peter, Balleny and Bouvet Islands. O.o. exasperatus South Shetlands, South Sandwich , and most if not all suitable sections of Antarctic coastline." Harrison 1983 (2)
In the Antarctic Peninsula nests in cavities in glacial rubble, scree, and also in tunnels excavated by the birds under boulders. Usually enters and leaves the nest site at night. One egg per nest. Both parents incubate the egg and feed the chick.
Adults, eggs and chicks preyed upon by Skuas. (11). An even bigger danger is that the adult, egg, or chick become trapped in the burrow by a heavy snow storm. Researchers in Antarctica found mummified remains in burrows.
Dive?
Does Wilson's Storm-petrel dive? I have seen
thousands of Wilsons and never saw a single bird dive under the water. Parmelee
(10) descrbes an incident of Wilson's Storm-petrel "submerging to grasp rising
oil droplets before the droplets could float to the surface and burst."
| Wilson's | Leach's | White-faced | Band-rumped | European last update: 07/11/2007 |