Black-capped petrel
| Black-capped petrel | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Procellariiformes |
| Family: | Procellariidae |
| Genus: | Pterodroma |
| Species: | P. hasitata |
| Binomial name | |
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Pterodroma hasitata (Kuhl, 1820) |
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The black-capped petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) is a small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus, Pterodroma. It is also known as the diablotín. It is a long-winged petrel with a grey-brown back and wings, with a white nape and rump. Underparts are mainly white apart from a black cap (that in some individuals extends to cover the eye) and some dark underwing markings. It picks food items such as squid from the ocean surface.
The black-capped petrel is large compared to other gadfly petrels. The most similar species within its range is the Bermuda petrel which is smaller and has a narrower white rump patch and an extensive gray cowl. The great shearwater is also superficially similar. The probably-extinct Jamaica petrel (P. caribbaea) was a related dark form, often considered a subspecies of this bird. The local Spanish name, Diablotín, means "little devil" because of its night-time habits and odd-sounding mating calls, which may have suggested to locals the presence of evil spirits in the dark. The petrel will occasionally utter other croaks and sounds while foraging at sea.
The black-capped petrel is nocturnal on its breeding grounds, possibly to avoid predation by gulls, hawks or crows. Like most petrels, its walking ability is limited to a short shuffle to the nest burrow.
There are two variants of the black-capped petrel; a dark or black-faced form, and a light or white-faced form. Genetic evidence of divergence suggests that these two color morphs represent distinct breeding populations. However, it is unclear whether these populations represent separate species or subspecies. Intermediate birds showing features of both populations are known to exist.
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