Ashy storm-petrel

[ OCEANODROMA HOMOCHROA ]

Among the tumultuous wind-driven waves off the California coast, there survives a tiny pelagic bird scarcely larger than a bluebird. Finding refuge in the ephemeral troughs between waves, the ashy storm-petrel flutters across the ocean surface, repeatedly pushing away from the water with its long legs as if struggling to stay aloft in the relentless wind. This small seabird seems never to rest, for it nests in inhospitable crevices on the rocky cliffs of California’s Farallon and Channel Islands and must fly to its nest at night to avoid being eaten by gulls and other predators. Even with these precautions, so many storm-petrels end up being eaten by a burgeoning gull population that scientists are beginning to worry about the bird’s future.

NATURAL HISTORY

From mid-August until November, an estimated 10,000 ashy storm-petrels -- probably the world’s entire population -- gather in Monterey Bay to feast on small fish and plankton. At times, they can all be found within a square mile, rendering them terribly vulnerable to a single environmental disaster such as an oil spill.

KEY CHARACTERISTIC

A gray-brown seabird with slender wings and long forked tail; at 8 inches long, the storm-petrel seems very dainty and has a light, fluttery wing beat.