Tubenoses

The tubenoses is an order of seabirds which contains the albatrosses and various families of petrels. They get their name from their prominent nostrils, which are covered by tubes on their upper beak. These strange-looking nostrils give them a fantastic sense of smell.

Family

  • Albatrosses (Diomedeidae)

    Albatrosses are large seabirds, but still extremely efficient flyers, using up more energy when landing and taking off than they do while in the air. There are 21 species in the albatross family, and these range across the Southern Ocean, Pacific Ocean and south Atlantic.

  • Hydrobatidae Storm petrel (species)

  • Petrels and shearwaters (Procellariidae)

    Shearwaters, prions, fulmar-petrels and gadlfy petrels make up this family (though it excludes the storm or diving petrels). These birds can be found fishing for prey in every ocean in the world.

About

Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, procellariids, storm-petrels and diving petrels. Formerly called Tubinares and still called tubenoses in English, they are often referred to collectively as the petrels, a term that has been applied to all Procellariiformes or more commonly all the families except the albatrosses. They are almost exclusively pelagic (feeding in the open ocean). They have a cosmopolitan distribution across the world's oceans, with the highest diversity being around New Zealand.

Procellariiformes are colonial, mostly nesting on remote predator-free islands. The larger species nest on the surface, while most smaller species nest in natural cavities and burrows. They exhibit strong philopatry, returning to their natal colony to breed and returning to the same nesting site over many years. Procellariiformes are monogamous and form long-term pair bonds which are formed over several years and may last for the life of the pair. Only a single egg is laid per nesting attempt, and usually only a single nesting attempt is made per year, although the larger albatrosses may only nest once every two years. Both parents participate in incubation and chick rearing. Incubation times are long compared to other birds, as are fledgling periods. Once a chick has fledged there is no further parental care.

Procellariiformes have had a long relationship with humans. They have been important food sources for many people, and continue to be hunted as such in some parts of the world. They have also been the subject of numerous cultural depictions, particularly albatrosses. Procellariiformes are one of the most endangered bird taxa, with many species threatened with extinction due to introduced predators in their breeding colonies, marine pollution and the danger of fisheries by-catch. Scientists, conservationists, fishermen and governments around the world are working to reduce the threats posed to them, and these efforts have led to the signing of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, a legally binding international treaty signed in 2001.

Read more at Wikipedia

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Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animal (animalia)

Phylum: Chordate (Chordata)

Class: Bird (Aves)

Order: Procellariiformes

Other Aves

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