Fork Tailed Storm Petrel

Oceanodroma furcata (Gmelin)

FORK-TAILED STORM PETREL

PELAGIC DISTRIBUTION.—This species was observed commonly on all POBSP cruises in the central and eastern Pacific north of 40°N (Figure 94). A region of high density off the California coast between 31 °N and 36°N probably consists of birds from the northern California or Oregon populations. An obvious straggler was observed on 22 February 1968 feeding on refuse behind a ship in the company of several Black Storm Petrels (Oceanodroma melania) near the southern tip of Baja California. POBSP collected only a few specimens of nominate O. f. furcata near the Aleutian Islands; thus most of our pelagic sightings are not referable to race.