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This is the largest storm petrel, measuring up to 25cm from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail. They have sooty black upperparts that contrast with their narrow white rump. The upperwing is sooty brown with a pale bar across middle on inner wing. The underparts are highly variable, light phase birds have pale underparts with a brown breast band, dark birds are totally sooty-black. The tail is dark and moderately forked, but this is often difficult to see as the feet trail beyond the tail. back to top  The Polynesian Storm Petrel is a storm-petrel of the tropical Pacific which is known to breed in the Line and Phoenix Islands, Kiribati, widespread but nowhere very common throughout French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Sala y Gomez, Chile. Historically it is known to have bred in Fiji, the Samoan Archipelago and Vanuatu and pre-historically in Tonga, but there are no recent confirmed breeding or sight records. On our map here, we have highlighted Mt. Nabukelevu (also known as Mt. Washington) in south western Kadavu, where the first record was made in 1876. back to top A storm petrel of the tropical Pacific, the Polynesian Storm Petrel is not known to disperse far from its breeding islands, perhaps along the South Equatorial Current. It usually breeds in small loosely-formed colonies, with nests placed under overhanging grass or in rock screes or crevices. A single egg is laid. Current records throughout its range are from low, uninhabited islands, but old records indicate nesting in upland areas. The Polynesian Storm Petrel has a very characteristic flight in a fair wind, springing up from the water with long legs dangling, sails in an arc on broad stiff wings before falling back to the water and then repeating the process. In flight the feet usually dangle loosely or project beyond the tail. back to top The Polynesian Storm Petrel is clearly totally unable to coexist with any introduced predator, even the small Polynesian Rat appears to be too much of a threat for its continued existence and so it is found only on islands without rats (and cats, dogs and mongoose etc.) and where humans rarely or ever visit
back to top Where it occurs, the Polynesian Storm Petrel is categorised as Vulnerable, however, it is considered to have become lost from the Fiji islands as a breeding bird. back to top The only Fijian breeding record appears to be from inland Kadavu in 1876, which was the type specimen (i.e. the first ever collected) for this species and there are no recent breeding or confirmed sight records from Fiji or, it would appear, from anywhere else in the region. There are, however, tentative sight records from Tutuila (American Samoa) and, most interestingly it has turned up as a prey item of the Fiji Peregrine Falcon. This record is very interesting and gives hope that it may still be present somewhere in the country. There are interesting observations of this bird in American Samoa. In the 1840s, the Rev. T. Powell indicated they were found in Tutuila and Manu’a but were more abundant in the latter, “They sleep in steep holes under the trunks of trees at an elevation of 2,500 ft., whence they are taken with dogs, which scent them. They are easily extracted from their holes.” By 1932, J. Armstrong noted that there were no recent records of this bird in Samoa. back to top Masibalavu and Dutson (2006); Watling (2004) Illustration by: Chloe Talbot Kelly in Watling (2004). back to top |
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Distribution Habitat, Ecology and Behaviour Threats Conservation Status Remarks and Cultural Significance References  Other species of the Bird section       |
