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Austral Storm Petrels

Austral storm petrels, belonging to the family Oceanitidae and the smallest of seabirds, are found in all the world's oceans. These birds feed primarily on planktonic crustaceans and small fish, often hovering to pick food from the water's surface with their distinctive fluttering flight. They breed almost exclusively at sea, only coming ashore to nest colonially, usually in burrows or crevices, and visit their breeding sites at night to avoid predators. They showcase high site fidelity, often returning to their birthplace to breed, and exhibit long-term monogamy with shared parenting duties such as incubation, which can last up to 50 days, and chick rearing for an additional 70 days. These petrels have various adaptations for flight, including hovering and surface pattering, where they pick at water's surface for food, and dynamic soaring. The ten species within this family are distributed across five genera, with some, like the New Zealand storm petrel thought to have been extinct until 2003, are now facing threats due to human activities and invasive species on their breeding islands. Their taxonomy and evolutionary history indicate they are basal within their order, and some suggest they should be split into distinct families. Morphologically, they are the tiniest seabirds with elongated skulls and elongated legs, which they can hardly use to support themselves for long ambulations on land. Despite their small size, they can live for up to 30 years. Conservation efforts are critical for some of these species, which are considered threatened or endangered due to introduced predators like rats and feral cats which they are ill-equipped to deal with.

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Albatrosses
Anhingas, Darters
Asian Barbets

Austral Storm Petrels

Australasian Babblers
Australasian Robins
Australasian Treecreepers
Australasian Warblers
Australasian Wrens
Australian Mudnesters
Australo-Papuan Bellbirds
Barn Owls
Bee-eaters
Berrypeckers, Longbills
Birds-of-paradise
Boatbills
Bowerbirds
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Bulbuls
Buntings
Bustards
Buttonquail
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Cassowaries, Emu
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Cisticolas & Allies
Cockatoos
Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Cranes
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Fairy Flycatchers
Fairy-bluebirds
Fantails
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Flamingos
Flowerpeckers
Flufftails
Frigatebirds
Frogmouths
Gannets, Boobies
Grassbirds & Allies
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Guineafowl
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyeaters
Hoopoes
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Ibises, Spoonbills
Ifrit
Jacanas
Jewel-babblers, Quail-thrushes
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Logrunners
Lyrebirds
Magpie Goose
Megapodes
Melampittas
Monarchs
Mottled Berryhunter
New World Quail
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Ostriches
Owlet-nightjars
Owls
Oystercatchers
Painted Berrypeckers
Painted-snipes
Pardalotes
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Penguins
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Plains-wanderer
Ploughbill
Plovers
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandpipers, Snipes
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Shriketit
Sittellas
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
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Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treeswifts
Tropicbirds
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
Wagtails, Pipits
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Whipbirds
Whistlers & Allies
White-eyes
Woodpeckers
Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies
A photo of a Black-bellied Storm Petrel (Fregetta tropica)

Black-bellied Storm Petrel

Fregetta tropica
A photo of a Grey-backed Storm Petrel (Garrodia nereis)

Grey-backed Storm Petrel

Garrodia nereis

New Zealand Storm Petrel

Fregetta maoriana

Polynesian Storm Petrel

Nesofregetta fuliginosa
A photo of a White-bellied Storm Petrel (Fregetta grallaria)

White-bellied Storm Petrel

Fregetta grallaria
A photo of a White-faced Storm Petrel (Pelagodroma marina)

White-faced Storm Petrel

Pelagodroma marina
A photo of a Wilson's Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus)

Wilson's Petrel

Oceanites oceanicus
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Species Categories

AlbatrossesAnhingas, DartersAsian BarbetsAustral Storm PetrelsAustralasian BabblersAustralasian RobinsAustralasian TreecreepersAustralasian WarblersAustralasian WrensAustralian MudnestersAustralo-Papuan BellbirdsBarn OwlsBee-eatersBerrypeckers, LongbillsBirds-of-paradiseBoatbillsBowerbirdsBristlebirdsBulbulsBuntingsBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCassowaries, EmuCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCockatoosCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCranesCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansFairy FlycatchersFairy-bluebirdsFantailsFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFlamingosFlowerpeckersFlufftailsFrigatebirdsFrogmouthsGannets, BoobiesGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGuineafowlGulls, Terns, SkimmersHerons, BitternsHoneyeatersHoopoesHornbillsIbises, SpoonbillsIfritJacanasJewel-babblers, Quail-thrushesKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLeaf Warblers & AlliesLogrunnersLyrebirdsMagpie GooseMegapodesMelampittasMonarchsMottled BerryhunterNew World QuailNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOstrichesOwlet-nightjarsOwlsOystercatchersPainted BerrypeckersPainted-snipesPardalotesPelicansPenguinsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPlains-wandererPloughbillPloversRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandpipers, SnipesSatinbirdsScrubbirdsShrikesShriketitSittellasSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreeswiftsTropicbirdsTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesVireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblersWagtails, PipitsWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWhipbirdsWhistlers & AlliesWhite-eyesWoodpeckersWoodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies

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