What is "diving petrel"

Petrel \Pe"trel\, n. [F. p['e]trel; a dim. of the name Peter, L. Petrus, Gr. ? a stone (
--John i. 42); -- probably so called in allusion to St. Peter's walking on the sea. See Petrify.] (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of longwinged sea birds belonging to the family Procellarid[ae]. The small petrels, or Mother Carey's chickens, belong to {Oceanites}, {Oceanodroma}, {Procellaria}, and several allied genera.

Diving petrel, any bird of the genus Pelecanoides. They chiefly inhabit the southern hemisphere.

Fulmar petrel, Giant petrel. See Fulmar.

Pintado petrel, the Cape pigeon. See under Cape.

Pintado petrel, any one of several small petrels, especially Procellaria pelagica, or Mother Carey's chicken, common on both sides of the Atlantic.

alt. Any seabird of the family Pelecanoididae in the order Procellariiformes, resembling auks and native to the southern oceans. n. Any seabird of the family Pelecanoididae in the order Procellariiformes, resembling auks and native to the southern oceans.

n. any of several small diving birds of southern hemisphere seas; somewhat resemble auks

The diving petrels are seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. There are four very similar species all in the family Pelecanoididae and genus Pelecanoides ( Lacépède, 1799), distinguished only by small differences in the coloration of their plumage and their bill construction. They are only found in the Southern Hemisphere.

Diving petrels are auk-like small petrels of the southern oceans. The resemblances with the auks are due to convergent evolution, since both families feed by pursuit diving, although some researchers have in the past suggested that the similarities are due to relatedness. Among the Procellariiformes the diving petrels are the family most adapted to life in the sea rather than flying over it, and are generally found closer inshore than other families in the order.

Diving petrels are plankton feeders, taking mostly crustacean prey such as krill, copepods and the amphipod Themisto gaudichaudii, also taking small fish and squid. They have several adaptations for obtaining their prey including short powerful wings, a gular pouch for storing food, and their nostrils open upwards rather than pointing forward as in other tubenoses.