Bermuda petrel
Pterodroma cahow
The Bermuda petrel (Pterodroma cahow) is a gadfly petrel.
About the Bermuda petrel
The Bermuda petrel (Pterodroma cahow) is a gadfly petrel. Commonly known in Bermuda as the cahow, a name derived from its eerie cries, this nocturnal ground-nesting seabird is the national bird of Bermuda and is pictured on Bermudian currency. Bermuda petrels are the second rarest seabird on the planet. They have medium-sized bodies and long wings, a greyish-black crown and collar, dark grey upper-wings and tail, white upper-tail coverts and white under-wings edged with black, and the underparts are completely white. For 300 years, it was thought to be extinct. The dramatic rediscovery in 1951 of eighteen nesting pairs made this a "Lazarus species", that is, a species found to be alive after having been considered extinct. Its rediscovery inspired a book and two documentary films. A nation
Fun Facts About Bermuda petrel
- The dramatic rediscovery in 1951 of eighteen nesting pairs made this a "Lazarus species", that is, a species found to be alive after having been considered extinct.
- For 300 years, it was thought to be extinct.
- Commonly known in Bermuda as the cahow, a name derived from its eerie cries, this nocturnal ground-nesting seabird is the national bird of Bermuda and is pictured on Bermudian currency.
- A national programme to preserve the bird and restore the species has helped increase its numbers, but scientists are still working to enlarge its nesting habitat on the restored Nonsuch Island.
- Bermuda petrels are the second rarest seabird on the planet.
Conservation Status
The Bermuda petrel is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. This species is at significant risk of extinction and requires active conservation efforts.
Taxonomy & Classification
| Order | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae |
| Genus | Pterodroma |
| Species | Pterodroma cahow |
Range & Habitat
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