Feb 5, 2015
Common Diving Petrel (Pelecanoides urinatrix)
...a species of diving petrel (Pelecanoides spp.) which is known to breed along South Africa, and islands in the southern Indian Ocean and off of New Zealand and south-eastern Australia. outside of the breeding season P. urintrix spends most of its time out at sea, feeding along the continental shelf and occasionally in the deeper pelagic zone. Like other diving petrels P. urintrix obtains food (which is typically crustaceans and small fish) by pursuit diving, in a similar fasion to the unrelated auks.
Classification
Animalia-Chordata-Aves-Procellariformes-Pelecanoididae-Pelecanoides-P. urinatrix
Image(s): JJ Harrison