Animal Family: Procellariidae

About the Procellariidae Family

The parent order is Procellariiformes.

Embark on a journey into the remarkable world of the Procellariidae family, a diverse and widespread group of seabirds that includes petrels, shearwaters, and fulmars. These masters of the open ocean are renowned for their incredible migratory capabilities, often covering vast distances across the world's oceans.

What truly makes Procellariidae unique is their exceptional adaptation to a pelagic existence. They possess specialized tubular nostrils, known as naricorns, which help them excrete excess salt ingested from seawater. This unique feature allows them to drink seawater directly, a crucial adaptation for life far from freshwater sources. Their keen sense of smell, aided by these nasal tubes, enables them to locate prey and breeding colonies over immense distances.

Common traits among animals in the Procellariidae family include their highly efficient flight, characterized by long, narrow wings perfectly suited for gliding and soaring over the ocean winds. Many species exhibit a distinctive "shearing" flight pattern, skimming low over the wave tops. They are primarily carnivorous, feeding on a variety of marine life such as fish, squid, and crustaceans. Most Procellariidae species are colonial breeders, returning to remote islands or coastal cliffs to nest in burrows or on ledges, often exhibiting strong pair bonds and parental care.

Other Orders

There are many different orders based upon their class. To learn more about classification orders, click here.