Bulweria fallax (Jouanin's petrel) 

Donkervlerkkeilstert [Afrikaans]; Jouanin-stormvogel [Dutch]; Pétrel de Jouanin [French]; Jouanin-sturmvogel [German]; Painho de Jouanin [Portuguese]

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia > Chordata > Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates)  > Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) > Teleostomi (teleost fish) > Osteichthyes (bony fish) > Class: Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) > Stegocephalia (terrestrial vertebrates) > Tetrapoda (four-legged vertebrates) > Reptiliomorpha > Amniota > Reptilia (reptiles) > Romeriida > Diapsida > Archosauromorpha > Archosauria > Dinosauria (dinosaurs) > Saurischia > Theropoda (bipedal predatory dinosaurs) > Coelurosauria > Maniraptora > Aves (birds) > Order: Ciconiiformes > Family: Procellariidae

Jouanin's petrel, offshore from Oman. [photo Hanne & Jens Eriksen ©]

Distribution and habitat

Breeds at Socotra and probably Oman, Arabian Sea in the period from June-December, dispersing across the north-west Indian Ocean mostly up to about 10° North. It is a vagrant to southern Africa, with several records in the Mozambique Channel.

Food 

Its diet is little known, but is though to consist mainly squid, supplemented with fish and crustaceans. It does most of its foraging by flying close to the water before grabbing its prey.

Threats

Near-threatened, largely due to the killing of fledglings by humans.

References

• Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ and Ryan PG 2005. Roberts - Birds of southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town.