About the Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Wilson's storm petrel, also known as Wilson's petrel, is a small seabird of the austral storm petrel family Oceanitidae. It is one of the most abundant bird species in the world and has a circumpolar distribution mainly in the seas of the southern hemisphere but extending northwards during the summer of the northern hemisphere. The world population was estimated in 2022 as stable at 8 to 20 million birds. In 2010 it had been estimated at 12–30 million. A 1998 book had estimated more than 50 million pairs. The name commemorates the Scottish-American ornithologist Alexander Wilson. The genus name Oceanites refers to the mythical Oceanids, the three thousand daughters of Tethys. The species name is from Latin oceanus, "ocean".
Source: Wikipedia
Taxonomy & Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Southern Storm-Petrels (Oceanitidae) |
| Species | Oceanites oceanicus |
| Species Codes | wispet, WISP, WSPE |
Frequently Asked Questions
What family does the Wilson's Storm-Petrel belong to?
The Wilson's Storm-Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus) belongs to the Southern Storm-Petrels family (Oceanitidae), in the order Procellariiformes.
How can I identify the Wilson's Storm-Petrel?
Wilson's storm petrel, also known as Wilson's petrel, is a small seabird of the austral storm petrel family Oceanitidae. It is one of the most abundant bird species in the world and has a circumpolar distribution mainly in the seas of the southern hemisphere but extending northwards during the summe...
Where can I report a Wilson's Storm-Petrel sighting?
You can log sightings of Wilson's Storm-Petrel on eBird (ebird.org) using species code wispet, or on iNaturalist.