Fea’s Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta (Salvadori, 1899)

Order: Procellariiformes
Family: Procellariidae
Species: Pterodroma feae(Salvadori, 1899)
Syn: Pterodroma deserta

Description
Fea’s Petrel has dark grey plumage on the upper parts of its body and underwings while the rest of its body is white. On its head the bird has a white area between its bill (black and robust) and its eyes. The other areas of its head are dark, with the top of the head being dark grey.
Commonly flies at high speed in very high (10/40 metres) “Vs” above the sea, rarely beating its wings. There are no differences between males and females. It easily confused with Zino’s Petrels due to its similar characteristics though Fea’s / Desertas Petrels are slightly bigger with a much heavier bill.

Distribution
This species is endemic to Macaronesia and nests in Madeira archipelago (on Bugio – one of the Desertas islands) and on the Cape Verde islands of São Nicolau, Santiago, Fogo and Santo Antão.

Habitat
On the Southern plateau of Bugio this seabird normally nests in unused rabbit burrows or ones that it excavates itself where the ground is soft with sufficient soil. It also nests in holes in rocks or in zones with loose stones, the latter habitat being more common in Cape Verde.

Breeding
Fea’s Petrel arrives in Madeira waters around June, lays a single egg in summer (July/August) and the young bird leave the nest in December. In Cape Verde this species appears to lay its eggs in December/January.

Curiosities
There are some reasons for thinking that the Cape Verde population of Fea’s Petrel may be a separate species but the data supporting this line of thought are inconclusive. Recent reports state that DNA of both species are completely different so they are about to be split into 2 different species.

Madeira name: Freira do Bugio
Madeira Archipelago migrant breeder
Social: Solitary or Small flocks
Length: 35 – 37 cm
Wingspan 92 – 95 cm
Status: Threatened
Seasonality in Madeira: From June to November though chicks only leave the nest by December
Also known as:
Gon-gon
Petrell gon-gon
Kap Verde Petrel
Kapverdensturmvogel
Petrel gon-gon
Kapverdenviistäjä
Pétrel gongon
Petrello di Capo Verde
Atlantpetrell