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European storm petrel facts for kids

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European storm petrel
European Storm Petrel From The Crossley ID Guide Eastern Birds.jpg
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Genus:
Hydrobates
Species:
pelagicus
Subspecies

H. p. pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758)
H. p. melitensis (Schembri, 1843)

Hydrobatesmap2.png
European and Mediterranean
range of H. pelagicus
(Full range extends into
the South Atlantic Ocean)      Known or probable breeding colonies     At-sea range in Northern Hemisphere summer
Synonyms
  • Procellaria pelagica Linnaeus, 1758

The European storm petrel, British storm petrel, or just storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus) is a small seabid. It lives in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean, around the coasts of Europe. Note that storm petrel can also refer to another group of birds, which mainly occur in the New World.

Storm petrels spend almost their whole life at sea. For breeding the come to shore, where they breed in large colonies. The bird has a well-developed sense of smell. It uses this to find its nest, or to find food, at night. In Europe, they can occasionally be seen at the Belgian coast, the Netherlands and the coast of Schleswig-Holstein.

It is one of the smallest seabirds. Its length is 16 centimetres (6.3 in) and wingspan about 37 centimetres (15 in). It weights about 27 grams (0.95 oz).It is usually black, with a white patch. The biggest known colony is probably that on Nólsoy, on the Faroe Islands. The birds can mainly be found in the ocean between Iceland, the Lofoten and the Faroe Islands.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Paíño europeo para niños

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