Birds and Birding's Guide to:

Watching THE ALBATROSSES AND PETRELS

Petrel Species

Their powers of flight are almost if not quite equal to those of the Albatrosses, as they are known to follow a vessel for days at a time, apparently not needing or caring for rest.

However, they all swim readily and it is probable that individuals really rest for a few minutes in the water and then easily overtake the ship without their absence having been noticed. In the manner of nesting, the Petrels differ quite markedly from the Albatrosses, as they nest in holes among rocks usually on the face of a cliff, occasionally in holes made by burrowing animals of various kinds, or among tufts of grass or other plants, while not a few of the species excavate holes or burrows for themselves in the ground; rarely the egg is placed on the bare rock without the pretense of a nest.

These burrows are of considerable length and frequently turn and double on themselves, and when available nesting sites are limited, or the ground is especially hard in which it is necessary to dig, it appears that several birds may combine forces.

Thus on the Bird Rocks in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Palmer speaks of having found four females and five eggs of Leach's Petrel in a single hole, but ordinarily there is only one occupant. The Petrels lay but a single egg, which is white, frequently tinged, when perfectly fresh, with very pale blue.

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