Kingdom Animalia Order Procellariiformes Genus Pterodroma Higher classification Gadfly petrel | Phylum Chordata Family Procellariidae Scientific name Pterodroma ultima Rank Species | |
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Similar Bird, Gadfly petrel, Stejneger's petrel, Cook's petrel, Phoenix petrel | ||
Murphy s petrels 4th september 2013 gambier to pitcairn se pacific
The Murphy's petrel (Pterodroma ultima) is a species of seabird and a member of the gadfly petrels. The bird is 15 inches in length, with a 35 inch wingspan and weigh about 13 ounces.
Very little is known about this species of petrel. First described in 1949, it wasn't until the 1980s that it was determined that these petrels might be regular visitors far offshore of North America. It occurs in the South Pacific, nesting on rocky islets and cliffs off tropical oceanic islands in the Austral, Tuamotu, and Pitcairn island groups. The bird has been recorded off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands and well off the Pacific Coast of the United States. Most reports of Murphy's petrels are over 40 miles offshore.
References
Murphy's petrel Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA