Procellariiformes

Procellariiformes (Albatrosses, Fulmars, Shearwaters, and Petrels)

• procella (L): a violent wind or storm, referring to the birds love of stormy weather at sea

Diomedeidae – 13 species

• Diomedes, according to Greek legend, was driven by a storm onto the coast of southern Italy where he remained until he died as an old man. His companions were then turned into birds.
• Diomedia chrysostoma (Grey-headed Albatross)
• khrusos (Gr): gold
• stoma (Gr): the mouth, in reference to the upper surface of the beak being a golden yellow
• Diomedia exulans (Wandering Albatross)
  • exul = exsul (L): an exile or wanderer, referring to its widespread wandering in the southern oceans. Its enormous wingspan (more than 3 meters or 11 feet) enables it to remain airborne for long periods in almost effortless gliding flight.
• Diomedia fusca (Sooty Albatross)
  • fuscus (L): dark-coloured, referring to the grey-brown tinge on its plumage that distinguishes it from the usual white albatross
• Diomedia melanophrus (Black-browed Albatross)
  • melas = melanos (Gr): black
  • ophrus (Gr): the eyebrow, referring to the dark plumage around the eye
• Diomedia nigripes (Black-footed Albatross)
  • niger (L): black
  • pes (L): the foot

Procellariidae – 53 species<

• Fulmarus glacialis (Northern Fulmar)
  • fulmarus (see above)
  • glacialis (L): glacial or icy, referring to the small arctic islands of the northern hemisphere where it inhabits
• Macronectes giganteus (Giant Petrel or Giant Fulmar)
  • ‘Petrel’ is said to come from St. Peter and the gospel story of his walking on the water
  • ‘Fulmar’ is from the Old Norse full, meaning ‘foul’ and mar, meaning ‘gull’, referring to the bird’s ability to spit a foul-smelling oily liquid at intruders.
  • makros (Gr): long or can mean ‘large’
  • nektes (Gr): a swimmer
  • giganteus (L) gigantic, because it is the largest fulmar, reaching to nearly 1 metre (38 in) in length
• Pachyptila desolata (Dove or Antarctic Prion)
  • The name ‘Dove’ refers to its appearance, which is about the size of a dove (28 cm or 11 in) and having blue-grey upperparts and pale grey underparts. ‘Prion’ is from the Greek prion, which means “a saw” and refers to the bill which has saw-like edges
  • pakhus (Gr): thick or stout
  • ptilon (Gr): a feather, referring to the soft, dense feathers, which are characteristic of the dove prion
  • desolatus (L): forsaken or desolate, referring to its lonely and uninhabited habitat of the antarctic region
• Pagodroma nivea (Snow Petrel)
  • pagos (Gr): ice
  • dromos (Gr): a running course
  • nix = nivis (L): snow
  • niveus (L): snowy, referring to its white plumage
• Procellaria parkinsoni (Parkinson’s Petrel)
  • named after S. Parkinson (c. 1745-1771), a draughtsman to Sir. J. Banks FRS who was with Captain Book on the H.M.S. Endeavor in 1770
  • procella (L): a storm
  • -arious (L): suffix meaning ‘pertaining to’
• Pterodroma cahow (Bermuda Petrel or Cahow)
  • The name Cahow is an imitation of the peculiar mating cry
  • dromos (Gr): a course or race, usually referring to horses but can mean any quick movement such as that of flight
  • pteron (Gr): feathers, wings, or ‘fast on the wing’
• Pterodroma phaeopygia (Dark-rumped Petrel)
  • phaios (Gr): dusky or brown
  • puge (Gr): the rump or buttocks
• Pterodroma solandri (Solander’s Petrel)
  • named after Dr. D.C. Solander FRS (1733-1782), a Swedish botanist on the H.M.S. Endeavour from 1768 to 1771. He also worked for a number of years for the British Museum (Natural History).
• Puffinus gravis (Greater Shearwater)
  • The English name derives from their manner of flight; that is, very near the water surface and tilting its body from side to side, thus ‘shearing’ the water with its wings.
  • ‘Puffinus’ is a Latinized form of the vernacular puffin name and originated in Middle English as pophyn
  • gravis (L): heavy or ponderous
• Puffinus pacificus (Wedge-tailed Shearwater)
  - The English name refers to the long, wedge-shaped tail.
  • pacificus (L): of the Pacific, referring to its habitat in the southern Pacific and Indian Oceans
• Puffinus tenuirostris (Short-tailed or Tasmanian Shearwater)
  • tenuis (L): thin or slender
  • rostrum (L): the beak, referring to its more slender beak than other shearwaters along with a shorter tail

Hydrobatidae – 20 species

• hudor (Gr): water
• bater (Gr): the threshold on which one treads
• Hydrobates pelagicus (Storm-Petrel)
  • hudor (Gr): water
  • bates (Gr): one that treads or covers, referring to the bird’s habit of apparently treading on the water with a ‘pattering’ of feet when hunting for food
  • pelagos (Gr): the sea, especially the open or high sea
  • -icus (L): suffix meaning ‘belonging to’
• Oceanodroma markhami (Markham’s Storm-Petrel)
  • named after Sir C.R. Markham FRS (1830-1916), a naturalist, explorer, and author of the book Travels in Peru and India
  • oceanus (L): the ocean, derived from Okeanos, the Greek god of the river which was believed to encircle the earth
  • dromos (Gr): a running course
• Oceanites oceanicus (Wilson’s Storm-Petrel)
  • Since the bird spends most of its life at sea and is the smallest of the ocean birds, sailors associate its appearance with stormy weather.
  • named for Alexander Wilson (1766-1813), the Scottish-American ornithologist who wrote the 9-volume American Ornithology published in 1805
  • oceanus (L): the ocean, derived from Okeanos, the Greek god of the river which was believed to encircle the earth
  • -ites (L): suffix meaning ‘having to do with’ or ‘belonging to’
  • -icus (L): suffix meaning ‘belonging to’
• Pelagodroma marina (White-faced Storm-Petrel)
  • pelagos (Gr): the sea, especially the open or high sea
  • dromos (Gr): a running course
  • marinus (L): of the sea

Pelecanoididae – 4 species

• pelekan (Gr): a pelican-like water-bird
• -oides (New L): from eidos (Gr) meaning ‘apparent shape’ or ‘resemblance’, in reference to its extensible throat pouch used for holding food and not for its appearance which has no resemblance to the pelican
• Pelecanoides garnotii (Peruvian Diving-Petrel)
  • named after Dr. P. Garnot (1794-1838), a French author and ornithologist
  • its range is along the western coast of South America as far north as northern Peru
• Pelecanoides urinatrix (Subantarctic Diving-Petrel)
  • urinator (L): a diver
  • -atrix (L): a feminine suffix, likely in reference to the smallness of the bird (18 cm or 7 in)

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