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Status: Population size: 10,000 Photo by Chandler Robbins.

Tristram's Storm-Petrel
(Oceanodroma tristrami)

Storm-petrels are true seabirds, coming to land only to nest or when driven ashore by hurricanes. Several species, including Tristram's, patter their feet on the surface of the water while flying; the word "petrel" is an allusion to St. Peter walking on water. Storm-petrels will feed, fly, and call at night.

Identification
Tristram's Storm-Petrel is mostly sooty-brown with a distinct bluish or grayish cast in fresh plumage. Upperwing coverts are paler, forming a prominent diagonal bar. It is slightly larger than Black and Markham's Storm-petrels and much larger than Leach's or Swinhoe's Storm-petrels. Matsudaira's Storm-petrel is browner, with white on outer primaries of upperwing and a less pronounced diagonal bar. Bare parts are black.

Distribution and Population Trends
The total population inhabits the central Pacific west to Japan. IT breeds on leeward Hawaiian Islands and on Volcano and southern Izu Islands.

Ecology
This species is not well-known. It is thought to disperse only to seas adjacent to breeding areas, with limited northward flights to Honshu, Japan. The diet is mostly crustaceans, small squid and octopus. Most prey is caught on the wing or when resting on the water's surface. The flight is described as strong, with steep-banked arcs and glides interspersed with fluttery wingbeats. It sometimes patters on water.

Threats
The greatest threat to Tristram's Storm-Petrel is potential introduction of rats or other introduced predators to its breeding islands. It may also be susceptible to marine pollution.

Conservation
The breeding islands within the Hawaiian Island chain are mostly protected as part of Hawaiian islands National Wildlife Refuge.

What Can You Do?
The Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuges provides essential habitat for Tristam’s Storm-Petrel. Unfortunately, the refuge system is often under-funded during the U.S. government’s budgeting process. To learn more about how you can help gain much needed funding for U.S. National Wildlife Refuges, visit: http://www.audubon.org/campaign/refuge_report/

Join Hawaii Audubon Society. A chapter of National Audubon, The Hawaii Audubon Society works to protect and educate people about Hawaii’s birds. For more information visit http://www.audubon.org/states/hi/

References
Harrison, Peter. Seabirds: an Identification Guide. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Kaufman, Kenn. Lives of North American Birds. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.