Gadfly petrel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gadfly petrels |
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| White-headed Petrel | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Procellariiformes |
| Family: | Procellariidae |
| Genus: | Pterodroma Bonaparte, 1856 |
| Type species | |
| Procellaria macroptera (great-winged petrel) Smith A., 1840
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| Species | |
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About 36, see text |
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Gadfly petrels are a group of amazing seabirds. They belong to a family called petrels, and their scientific name is Pterodroma. There are about 35 different kinds, or species, of these birds.
They get the name "gadfly" because of how they fly. They are super fast and weave through the air, almost like they're dodging horseflies (which are sometimes called gadflies). Their scientific name, Pterodroma, also describes their flight. It comes from Ancient Greek words: pteron means "wing," and dromos means "runner." So, it's like "wing-runner"!
These petrels have short, strong beaks. They use them to pick up soft food right from the ocean's surface. Their bodies are special too, with twisted insides that help them digest unusual sea creatures.
Their wings and faces have cool, complex patterns. Scientists think these patterns help different kinds of petrels recognize each other.
Gadfly petrels build their nests in large groups called colonies. They usually choose islands for this. They lay one white egg, often in a burrow underground or sometimes on open ground. They are active at night when they are at their nesting sites.
Most Pterodroma species stay in one ocean, like the Atlantic. They don't wander as much as some other seabirds. For example, eleven types of gadfly petrels live and breed near New Zealand, and six of those are found nowhere else in the world!
Understanding Gadfly Petrels
Scientists group living things using a system called taxonomy. This helps us understand how different animals are related. The group of gadfly petrels, called Pterodroma, was first named in 1856. A French scientist named Charles Lucien Bonaparte gave them this name.
As we learned, Pterodroma comes from Ancient Greek words meaning "wing" and "runner." It perfectly describes these fast-flying birds! The great-winged petrel was chosen as the main example, or "type species," for this group in 1866 by an American scientist named Elliott Coues.
Different Kinds of Gadfly Petrels
Today, scientists recognize about 36 different kinds, or species, of gadfly petrels. Sadly, two of these species might have disappeared forever in recent history.
Here are a few examples of the many species:
- The Great-winged petrel (Pterodroma macroptera) lives in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.
- The White-headed petrel (Pterodroma lessonii) is found in the Southern Ocean.
- The Bermuda petrel (Pterodroma cahow) lives in the northwest Atlantic Ocean.
- The Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) can be found in the central Pacific Ocean.
See also
- List of gadfly petrels
