New Caledonian storm petrel

The New Caledonian storm petrel (Fregetta lineata) is a species of bird in the family Oceanitidae.

New Caledonian storm petrel
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Procellariiformes
Family: Oceanitidae
Genus: Fregetta
Species:
F. lineata
Binomial name
Fregetta lineata
(Peale, 1848)
Synonyms

Pealea lineata (Ridgway, 1886)

Distribution and habitat

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It is an endemic breeder to New Caledonia, and has a wider nonbreeding range throughout the Coral Sea and the South Pacific, as far east as the Marquesas.[1]

At-sea observations continue to occur of the east coast of Australia, however the location of a breeding colony is yet to be discovered. On 26 September 2014, a juvenile F. lineata was discovered on the shore of mainland New Caledonia, in an inhabited area. This is the only definite record of F. lineata on land and indicates a likely nearby breeding location.[1]

Taxonomy

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Described in 1848, the New Caledonian storm petrel, alongside the closely related New Zealand storm petrel (F. maoriana) which shares a similar streaked coloration, was long thought to merely be an aberrant member of another storm petrel species. The recognition of the New Zealand storm petrel as a valid species prompted a reevaluation of the New Caledonian storm petrel, and it was thus revived as a distinct species in 2022.[1] It is thought to be critically endangered, with an adult population of only 100 - 1,000 pairs.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Bretagnolle, Vincent; Flood, Robert L.; Gaba, Sabrina; Shirihai, Hadoram (2022-03-11). "Fregetta lineata (Peale, 1848) is a valid extant species endemic to New Caledonia". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 142 (1): 111–130. doi:10.25226/bboc.v142i1.2022.a6. ISSN 0007-1595. S2CID 247385755.
  2. ^ "The New Caledonian storm petrel, a new species of bird already endangered | CNRS". www.cnrs.fr. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-23.