Black-capped Petrel

Pterodroma hasitataOrder: PROCELLARIIFORMES Family: Petrels and Shearwaters (Procellariidae)

Codes: Common Name: BCPE Scientific Name: PTEHAS ITIS Taxonomic No.: 174567

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Black-capped Petrel: Large petrel with white underparts, dark brown to black back and upper wings, black cap, and white collar (this field mark is missing in some birds). Tail is long, dark, and wedge-shaped; underwings show broad dark margins. Hooked bill is dark, legs are pink. High arcing flight.

Range and Habitat

Black-capped Petrel: The Black-capped Petrel is a little-known seabird that is found at sea from northern South America to the southeastern U.S. Currently, the only known breeding colonies are located in the highlands of Hispaniola - on Massif de la Selle and Massif de la Hotte in Haiti and in the nearby Loma del Toro in the Dominican Republic. The total population is small, and a mere handful drift northward along the Gulf Stream in summer and fall, after the breeding season.

Topo Map: Gull-like Body

Voice Text

Generally silent

Interesting Facts

Black-capped Petrels are also known as Diablotín, or "little devil” because of its night-time habits and odd-sounding mating calls, which reminded villagers of the sounds of evil spirits.

They once bred on at least four islands in the Caribbean. Now they can only be heard reliably on the Island of Hispaniola. Hunting, habitat alteration, introduced predators and natural disasters have led to the extirpation of this species from much of its previous breeding range.

Due to their prevalence off the coast of the U.S. some researchers believe that there are other breeding colonies not yet accounted for. Expeditions to find breeding birds in Cuba have been made, but no colonies have been found thus far. Likewise, reports of Black-capped Petrels in Dominica have not been followed by the discovery of other nesting sites.

A group of petrels are collectively known as a "gallon" and a "tank" of petrels.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Samira Belous

Percevia^® Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The Percevia field guides, database and search protocol patent pending.

The best bird guide and bird watching search engine to identify birds!

Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Black-capped Petrel

● Song: Generally silent

● Foraging & Feeding: Black-capped Petrel: The species spends most of its life at sea and feeds along the edges of the Gulf Stream primarily in areas where deep ocean waters are forced to the surface. Their main diet is believed to consist of small squid and fish, which they snatch from the surface of the water.

● Breeding & nesting: Black-capped Petrel: One white egg is laid in an excavated burrow in the soil or rocky crevice on an isolated mountain ridge. All known colonies are found in forested slopes of mountains at elevations 4,000 ft above sea level. Incubation ranges from 51 to 54 days and is carried out by both sexes.

● Similar species: Black-capped Petrel: This bird looks similar to Bermuda Petrel and Jamaica Petrel (now believed to be extinct) but can be distinguished from them by its white collar, and conspicuous white rump. Bermuda Petrel has a shorter bill. Greater Shearwater is larger, its black cap extends below eye, it has a dusky wash on belly and a different flight pattern.

Flight Pattern

High, erratic, rollercoaster-like arcing flight at sea, especially on steady wings., Springs lightly from the water into flight., Often swoops upward in great arcs above horizon.

● Range & Habitat: Black-capped Petrel: The Black-capped Petrel is a little-known seabird that is found at sea from northern South America to the southeastern U.S. Currently, the only known breeding colonies are located in the highlands of Hispaniola - on Massif de la Selle and Massif de la Hotte in Haiti and in the nearby Loma del Toro in the Dominican Republic. The total population is small, and a mere handful drift northward along the Gulf Stream in summer and fall, after the breeding season.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationRare

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight9.8 Ounces

Gull-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Cap

The area on top of the head of the bird.

Collar

Similar to the upper part of the human neck, located at the back of the crown.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America