Barau's Petrel

Pterodroma baraui - Pétrel de Barau

Pétrel de Barau
Systematics
  • Order 
    :

    Procellariiformes

  • Family
    :

    Procellariidés

  • Genus
    :

    Pterodroma

  • Species
    :

    baraui

Descriptor

Jouanin, 1964

Biometrics
  • Size
    : 38 cm
  • Wingspan
    : 96 cm.
  • Weight
    :
Geographic range

Distribution

Identification

Pétrel de Barau
adult
Pétrel de Barau

Barau's Petrel is easy to distinguish from other species within its range: a striking contrast between the ash-grey back and the white underside, marked by a broad black slash beneath each wing, also edged in black.

Subspecific information monotypic species

Foreign names

  • Pétrel de Barau,
  • Petrel de Barau,
  • freira-da-reunião,
  • Barausturmvogel,
  • Barau-viharmadár,
  • Baraus Stormvogel,
  • Petrello di Barau,
  • baraupetrell,
  • Rodriguespetrell,
  • tajfúnnik tmavotylový,
  • buřňák réunionský,
  • Réunionpetrel,
  • reunioninviistäjä,
  • Baraustormvoël,
  • petrell de Barau,
  • petrel wulkaniczny,
  • Тайфунник Баро,
  • Petrel barau,
  • レユニオンシロハラミズナギドリ,
  • 留尼汪圆尾鹱,
  • 留尼旺圓尾鸌,

Voice song and cries

Pétrel de Barau
adult

Habitat

Pétrel de Barau

This bird is pelagic, living on the open sea apart from the breeding season.

Behaviour character trait

Pétrel de Barau

Like all petrels, our bird skims the air currents above the waves, keeping a lookout for its food on the surface. Great flights gather together with other species (such as Brown Noddies) in search of small fish schools. It regularly rests on the waves to rest.

Flight

Pétrel de Barau
adult

Barau's Petrel is an excellent sailing boat, earning it the nickname taillevent in Réunion.

Dietfeeding habits

Pétrel de Barau
adult

Capable of feeding both day and night, Barau's Petrel watches out for living or dead animals near the surface: squids, small fish, and assorted remains. It also knows how to take advantage of the feasts set off by large marine predators (dolphins and tuna) on small fish banks.

Reproduction nesting

Pétrel de Barau
adult

On the island of Réunion alone, Barau's Petrel forms burrow colonies in steep locations, particularly on the slopes of the Piton de la Fournaise.

Pétrel de Barau
adult
Colonies form as early as December-January. The single egg's incubation lasts one month. The chick is fed regurgitated food by both parents who take long turns travelling immense distances for the food. After three months, the young bird exceeds the weight of its own parents by 30%. They then abandon it to its own devices and, after a period of weight loss, the young bird takes flight. This is usually around late April-early May.

Geographic range

Distribution
Pétrel de Barau
adult

For reproduction, Barau's Petrel is endemic to the island of Réunion. The rest of the year, it can be observed throughout the Indian Ocean.

Threats - protection

Pétrel de Barau
First year
IUCN conservation status
Extinct
Threatened
Least
concern
Extinc
in the Wild
Near
threatened
Not
evaluated
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC NE

Barau's Petrel's endemism makes it very vulnerable to human activities and its consequences: first and foremost, predation by cats and rats. Artificial lighting also confuses young birds after they take off; they end up stranded far away from the ocean and cannot take off again. The Ornithological Society of Reunion (SEOR) runs campaigns to collect distressed birds and raise public awareness. It is estimated that the population of Barau's Petrels is between 3,000 and 5,000 pairs.

Sources of information

Other sources of interest

QRcode Pétrel de BarauSpecification sheet created on 03/08/2023 by
Translation by AI Oiseaux.net
published: - Updated: 06-08-2013
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