Galápagos petrel
Species of bird / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Galápagos petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) is one of the six endemic seabirds of the Galápagos.[2] Its scientific name derives from Ancient Greek: Pterodroma originates from pteron and dromos, meaning "wing" and "runner", and phaeopygia comes from phaios and pugios, meaning "dusky" and "rump".[3] Members of Pterodroma genus are also called the gadfly petrels because their erratic twisting and turning in flight resemble that of gadflies.[4]
Galápagos petrel | |
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A Galapagos Petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) in flight off San Cristobal Island | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Procellariiformes |
Family: | Procellariidae |
Genus: | Pterodroma |
Species: | P. phaeopygia |
Binomial name | |
Pterodroma phaeopygia (Salvin, 1876) | |
Known by locals as pata pegada or "web-footed one", Galápagos petrels are highly adapted to the ocean and spend most of their time at sea eating invertebrates and fish.[5][6] At sea, they are indistinguishable from the Hawaiian petrels: consequently, they were considered the same species for a while.[2][7] When breeding season arises, they return to their large colonies located on the highlands of some Galápagos islands.[5][6]
The populations of Galápagos petrels have declined substantially over the last three generations (60 years) due to anthropogenic disturbances.[5][8] Introduced predation (i.e. feral cats, dogs, pigs, and rats) and agricultural expansion have decreased the species' overall breeding success, survivability, and quality of habitats and nesting colonies.[5][8] Although many conservation efforts are underway, its populations are currently still declining with an estimate of 6,000-15,000 mature individuals remaining.[8] The species is now classified under “critically endangered” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.[8]