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Takahikare-moana, the white-faced storm petrel


white-faced storm petrel
 

There are six sub–species of the white–faced petrel, three of which have been recorded in New Zealand; dulciae, breeding around southern Australia, maoriana, breeding around the mainland of New Zealand and the Chatham and Auckland Islands, and the rare albiclunus, breeding in the Kermadecs.

There are widespread colonies of white–faced storm petrels in subantarctic to subtropical parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Southwestern Pacific Oceans.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Taxonomy
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order: Procellariiformes
Family:Procellariiidae
Genera:Pelagodroma
Species:marina
Sub Species:maoriana, dulciae, albiclunus

Other common names:  — 
Frigate petrel.

Description:  — 
Endemic bird:
20 cm., 45 g., forehead, eyebrow and underparts white, crown, nape and patch around eye dark brown, back and upperwing brownish grey, contrasting with pale grey (NZ subspecies) or white (Kermadec subspecies) rump, slightly forked black tail.

Where to find:  — 
maoriana breed on many islands of northern New Zealand from the Three Kings to Motumahanga off New Plymouth in the west to islands in the Bay of Plenty in the east. and at Chatham and Auckland Islands.


Credit for the photograph: — 

Illustration description: — 
Godman, Frederick du Cane, Monograph of the Petrels, 1907–1910.

Reference(s): — 
Oliver, W.R.B. New Zealand Birds, 1955.

Heather, B., & Robertson, H., Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand, 2000.

Page date & version: — 
Monday, 1 August, 2005; ver200506
© 2005Narena Olliver,  new zealand birds limited ,  Greytown, New Zealand.
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