Austral storm petrel

An austral storm petrel is a small seabird in Oceanitidae, the family of storm petrels found mainly in the Southern Hemisphere. Its members forage over open water and generally return to land to breed.

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Oceanitidae: Oceanitidae is a family of small seabirds commonly called southern storm petrels. Austral storm petrels belong to this family, whose members share a southern-ocean distribution.
Pelagic zone: The pelagic zone comprises the open waters of seas and oceans, away from shore and seabed. Austral storm petrels spend much of their lives feeding in open-ocean habitats.
Wilson's storm petrel: Wilson's storm petrel is a small, highly migratory seabird in Oceanitidae. It is a widespread family member that breeds in the Southern Hemisphere and ranges across oceans.
Hydrobatidae: Hydrobatidae is a family of storm petrels commonly called northern storm petrels. It is the other living storm-petrel family, distinct from the southern Oceanitidae.
Procellariiformes: Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that includes albatrosses, petrels, and shearwaters. This broader seabird order places Oceanitidae among other ocean-going relatives.
Surface feeding: Surface feeding is the capture of food at or near the water's surface. Many storm petrels take small prey while pattering or dipping at the sea surface.
Black-bellied storm petrel: The black-bellied storm petrel is a small seabird in Oceanitidae with a dark belly. Its contrasting belly pattern makes it a recognizable example of austral storm-petrel diversity.
Albatross: An albatross is a large oceanic seabird in the family Diomedeidae. Albatrosses share the open-ocean environment but are much larger and belong to a different family.
Storm petrel: Storm petrel is a common name for small seabirds in the families Oceanitidae and Hydrobatidae. The common name covers both southern and northern storm-petrel families.
Zooplankton: Zooplankton are drifting animals and animal-like organisms that inhabit aquatic food webs. Small drifting prey form part of the diet of many austral storm petrels.