Black-capped Petrel
Encyclopedia
The Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) is a small seabird
in the gadfly petrel
genus
, Pterodroma. It is also known as the Diablotín. The extinct Jamaica Petrel
(P. caribbaea) was a related dark form, often considered a subspecies
of this bird
.
This long-winged petrel has a grey-brown back and wings, with a white nape
and rump. Underparts are mainly white apart from a black cap (that in some individuals extends to cover the eye
) and some dark underwing makings. It picks food items such as squid from the ocean
surface.
The Black-capped Petrel is nocturnal at the breeding sites possibly to avoid predation by gull
s, hawks or crows. Like most petrels, its walking ability is limited to a short shuffle to the burrow
. Although this seabird
once breed on cliffs in the mountains of the Greater Antilles
, only three confirmed breeding sites remain, all in the high mountains of Hispaniola
(at Lomo de Toro in the Dominican Republic, and in Parc La Visite and Parc Macaya on Haiti
an side of the island). The local name Diablotín means "little devil", called so because of its night-time habits and the odd-sounding mating calls, which may have suggested to locals the presence of evil spirits in the dark. A mountain peak where it formerly bred in Haiti (and another in Dominica, Lesser Antilles) is still named Morne Diablotin.
The species, once widespread in the West Indies, is now far less common. It is an uncommon but regular visitor to the southeastern USA
, and an extremely rare wanderer to western Europe
. Causes for its demise include habitat loss, introduced predators, and direct human harvesting.
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
in the gadfly petrel
Gadfly petrel
The gadfly petrels are seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. These medium to large petrels feed on food items picked from the ocean surface....
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, Pterodroma. It is also known as the Diablotín. The extinct Jamaica Petrel
Jamaica Petrel
The Jamaica Petrel is a small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus, Pterodroma. It is also known as the Blue Mountain Duck. It is related to the Black-capped Petrel P. hasitata, and often considered a subspecies.This species was last collected in 1879, and was searched for without success between...
(P. caribbaea) was a related dark form, often considered a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of this bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
.
This long-winged petrel has a grey-brown back and wings, with a white nape
Nape
The nape is the back of the neck. In technical anatomical/medical terminology, the nape is referred to by the word nucha, which also gives the adjective corresponding to "nape" in English, "nuchal"....
and rump. Underparts are mainly white apart from a black cap (that in some individuals extends to cover the eye
Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
) and some dark underwing makings. It picks food items such as squid from the ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
surface.
The Black-capped Petrel is nocturnal at the breeding sites possibly to avoid predation by gull
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
s, hawks or crows. Like most petrels, its walking ability is limited to a short shuffle to the burrow
Burrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, so the burrowing way of life is quite popular among the...
. Although this seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
once breed on cliffs in the mountains of the Greater Antilles
Greater Antilles
The Greater Antilles are one of three island groups in the Caribbean. Comprising Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico, the Greater Antilles constitute almost 90% of the land mass of the entire West Indies.-Greater Antilles in context :The islands of the Caribbean Sea, collectively known as...
, only three confirmed breeding sites remain, all in the high mountains of Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
(at Lomo de Toro in the Dominican Republic, and in Parc La Visite and Parc Macaya on Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an side of the island). The local name Diablotín means "little devil", called so because of its night-time habits and the odd-sounding mating calls, which may have suggested to locals the presence of evil spirits in the dark. A mountain peak where it formerly bred in Haiti (and another in Dominica, Lesser Antilles) is still named Morne Diablotin.
The species, once widespread in the West Indies, is now far less common. It is an uncommon but regular visitor to the southeastern USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and an extremely rare wanderer to western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Causes for its demise include habitat loss, introduced predators, and direct human harvesting.