Storm petrel or stormy petrel may refer to one of two seabird families in the order Procellariiformes, which were historically treated as one family. Before the introduction of molecular phylogenetics, the traditional arrangement was to divide the Procellariiformes into a set of four families: Diomedeidae containing the albatrosses, Hydrobatidae containing all the storm petrels, Pelecanoididae containing the diving petrels and Procellariidae containing the petrels, shearwaters and fulmars. The family Hydrobatidae was further divided into two subfamilies, the northern storm petrels in Hydrobatinae and the southern or austral storm petrels in Oceanitinae.
A 1998 analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences found there was deep genetic divergence between the two subfamilies. Corrigendum Subsequent large-scale multigene studies found that the two subfamilies were not sister taxa. The storm petrels were therefore split into two families: Hydrobatidae containing the northern storm petrels and Oceanitidae, containing the southern storm petrels.
The species within the two families are:
Northern storm petrels (Hydrobatidae) are found in the Northern Hemisphere, although some species around the Equator dip into the south.
Common nameScientific nameStatusEuropean storm petrelHydrobates pelagicusLCFork-tailed storm petrelHydrobates furcatusLCRinged storm petrelHydrobates hornbyiNTLeach's storm petrelHydrobates leucorhousLCTownsend's storm petrelHydrobates socorroensisENAinley's storm petrelHydrobates cheimomnestesVUSwinhoe's storm petrelHydrobates monorhisNTAshy storm petrelHydrobates homochroaENBand-rumped storm petrelHydrobates castroLCMonteiro's storm petrelHydrobates monteiroiVUCape Verde storm petrelHydrobates jabejabeLCWedge-rumped storm petrelHydrobates tethysLCBlack storm petrelHydrobates melaniaLCGuadalupe storm petrelHydrobates macrodactylusCR (Probably Extinct)Markham's storm petrelHydrobates markhamiNTMatsudaira's storm petrelHydrobates matsudairaeVUTristram's storm petrelHydrobates tristramiLCLeast storm petrelHydrobates microsomaLC
Southern storm petrels (Oceanitidae) are found in all oceans, although only white-faced storm petrel (breeding in the North Atlantic, in addition to the Southern Ocean) and Wilson's storm petrels (on migration) are found in the Northern Hemisphere.
Common nameScientific nameStatusWilson's storm petrelOceanites oceanicusLCPincoya storm petrelOceanites pincoyaeDDElliot's storm petrelOceanites gracilisDDGrey-backed storm petrelGarrodia nereisLCWhite-faced storm petrelPelagodroma marinaLCWhite-bellied storm petrelFregetta grallariaLCNew Zealand storm petrelFregetta maorianaCRBlack-bellied storm petrel or Gould's storm petrelFregetta tropicaLCPolynesian storm petrel (including white-throated storm petrel)Nesofregetta fuliginosaEN
References