Soft-plumaged Petrel
Pterodroma mollis (Gould, 1844)
261
Family: Procellariformes > Procellaridae
The Soft-plumaged Petrel is one of several Pterodroma petrels, including the similar Fea's, Desertas and Zino's Petrel. Identification of these species requires good views, which are rarely afforded by land-based seawatching. Soft-plumaged Petrel is a southern hemisphere breeder and extremely rare in Europe with only one previous record (Norway, 2009). In autumn 2021 a "Fea's type" petrel was claimed at Flamborough Head, Yorkshire and was tracked as it migrated up the coast as far as Northumberland. Although distant, the repeated opportunities to capture photographs resulted in sufficient evidence to be amassed of the key features of Soft-plumaged Petrel, allowing this record to be confirmed as the first UK record.
Identification
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Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.
CONSERVATION STATUS
This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.
| IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global) |
Least Concern 
|
| Schedule 1 license required (to disturb) | No |
| Birds Directive Annex 1 | No |
POPULATION SIZE
We have no population estimates for this scarce species.
|
First Record
|
Yorkshire, 2021 |
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
RINGING RECOVERIES
View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.
Biology
Lifecycle and body size information about Soft-plumaged Petrel, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING
Sample sizes are too small to report Productivity and Nesting statistics for this species.
CODES & CLASSIFICATION
|
Field Codes
|
5-letter code: | Euring: 261 |
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Links to more studies from ConservationEvidence.com
- Reducing incidental mortality of seabirds with an underwater longline setting funnel
- Conservation of Zino's petrel Pterodroma madeira in the archipelago of Madeira
- Have burrowing petrels recovered on Marion Island two decades after cats were eradicated? Evidence from sub-Antarctic skua prey remains
Read more studies about Soft-plumaged Petrel on Conservation Evidence >
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