Species BirdsWilson's Storm-Petrel

Wilson's Storm-Petrel

Oceanites oceanicus

CommonBird
Illustration of Wilson's Storm-Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus)

Wilson's Storm-Petrel may be the most abundant bird in the world, with a global population estimated in the tens of millions. It breeds in the Southern Ocean in enormous colonies and migrates to the North Atlantic and Pacific each summer. The yellow-webbed feet that dangle below the body when it patters across the water surface are distinctive. It is a common sight on Atlantic pelagic trips.

Habitat
Open ocean worldwide; common off both US coasts in summer
Diet
Zooplankton and small fish picked from the ocean surface
How common
Common

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