Petrel Facts For Kids (Ocean Wanderers & Storm Birds)

What bird can fly over the ocean for years without touching land? The petrel! These incredible seabirds spend most of their lives soaring over the open ocean, riding the winds above massive waves. Some petrels are so small they seem to walk on water! Others are as large as an albatross. Petrels have special tube-shaped noses that help them smell fish from miles away. They're named after Saint Peter, who the Bible says walked on water. Let's explore the amazing world of these ocean wanderers!

Quick Facts

Scientific Name: Order Procellariiformes (several families)
Type: Bird (seabird)
Diet: Carnivore (fish, squid, krill, carrion)
Size: 6 inches to 3 feet long
Weight: 1 ounce to 11+ pounds
Lifespan: 15-60+ years
Habitat: Open oceans worldwide
Conservation Status: Varies (many threatened)

What Do Petrels Look Like?

Petrels come in a wide range of sizes! Storm petrels are some of the smallest seabirds, about the size of a sparrow. Giant petrels are nearly as big as albatrosses, with wingspans over 6 feet. Most petrels are dark gray, brown, black, or white. Many species have a mix of dark upper parts and white bellies that help them blend in with the ocean from above and below!

All petrels have tube-shaped nostrils on top of their bills! These special "tube noses" help them smell food across the vast ocean. They can detect the scent of fish oil and squid from several miles away. The tubes also help remove extra salt from seawater. Since petrels drink ocean water, they need a way to get rid of the salt. Their special glands filter it out through the tubes!

Petrels have long, narrow wings designed for gliding over waves! They use a flying technique called dynamic soaring—riding the wind just above wave crests to travel huge distances without flapping. Their webbed feet help with swimming and paddling on the surface. Storm petrels have especially long legs that dangle down, making them look like they're walking on water!

Where Do Petrels Live?

Petrels live on every ocean on Earth! Wilson's storm petrels are found across all the world's oceans and may be the most numerous wild bird on the planet. Giant petrels roam the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. Bermuda petrels live in the Atlantic Ocean. Many petrel species are found in the Pacific, from tropical islands to the cold waters near Alaska!

Petrels spend most of their lives at sea! Some species don't touch land for years at a time. They only come ashore to breed, and many nest on remote islands far from predators. Petrels often nest on islands that are so remote that humans rarely visit. During the rest of the year, they wander across thousands of miles of open ocean!

Petrel nesting colonies are usually on islands without land predators! They nest in burrows dug into the ground, in rock crevices, or under thick vegetation. Many petrels only visit their nests at night to avoid being caught by gulls and skuas. Some colonies contain millions of nesting pairs! The noise and smell of a large petrel colony can be detected from far away!

What Do Petrels Eat?

Petrels eat fish, squid, krill, and other ocean creatures! They hunt by skimming low over the water's surface, dipping their bills to grab food. Storm petrels patter their feet on the surface while hovering, picking up tiny fish and plankton. Larger petrels like fulmars can dive several feet underwater. Some petrels follow fishing boats to eat scraps thrown overboard!

Giant petrels are the vultures of the sea! They eat dead seals, whales, and penguins that wash up on shores. Their powerful bills can tear through tough skin. They also hunt live prey, attacking penguin chicks and injured seabirds. Giant petrels are the largest scavengers in the Southern Ocean. They play an important role in cleaning up dead animals!

Petrels have an amazing ability to smell food! Their tube noses can detect fish oils, squid ink, and the scent of krill from miles across the open water. Scientists have found that some petrels can even smell a chemical released by plankton when it's being eaten by krill. This means petrels can find food by smelling the ocean itself! Their sense of smell is unusual among birds!

Cool Facts About Petrels

Walking on water: Storm petrels got their name because they appear to walk on water! They hover close to the surface with their long legs dangling down, pattering their feet on the waves. This looks like walking on water. Sailors named them after Saint Peter from the Bible, who walked on the Sea of Galilee. The name "petrel" comes from "Peter!"
Stomach oil weapon: Petrels defend themselves by spitting smelly stomach oil at attackers! This orange, waxy oil smells terrible and is very hard to wash off. If the oil gets on a predator bird's feathers, it can damage them so badly the bird can't fly. Baby petrels can spit oil even before they can walk! It's one of the grossest bird defenses!
Most common bird: Wilson's storm petrel may be the most numerous wild bird in the world! Scientists estimate there are tens of millions of them. They're found on every ocean. Despite being so common, most people have never seen one because they live far from shore. They visit their nesting islands only at night!
Incredible survivors: The Bermuda petrel was thought to be extinct for 330 years! It vanished in the 1600s when European settlers arrived. In 1951, scientists found 18 nesting pairs on tiny rocky islands. Careful conservation has slowly increased their numbers. Today, over 130 pairs nest on protected islands. They're one of the rarest seabirds in the world!
Ocean marathons: Some petrels travel over 40,000 miles per year during migration! They circle entire ocean basins, riding winds across thousands of miles of open sea. During a single foraging trip to feed their chick, a parent petrel might fly over 1,000 miles round trip. Their energy-efficient gliding style makes these huge distances possible!
Long-lived birds: Many petrel species live for 40 to 60 years or more! Some individual northern fulmars have been recorded at over 50 years old. Despite their long lives, petrels reproduce very slowly—most species lay just one egg per year. If the egg is lost, they don't lay another until next year. Their long lives make up for their slow reproduction!
Night visitors: Most petrels visit their nesting colonies only under the cover of darkness! They fly in after sunset and leave before dawn. This helps them avoid predatory gulls and skuas that hunt during the day. Petrel colonies are eerily noisy at night, with thousands of birds calling from their burrows. By morning, the colony looks deserted!
Designed for ocean life: Every part of a petrel is suited for a life at sea! Tube noses filter salt and smell food. Long wings glide for hours without flapping. Webbed feet swim and paddle. Waterproof feathers shed ocean spray. Stomach oil provides energy and defense. Petrels are perfectly made for wandering the world's oceans!

Baby Petrel Facts

Most petrels lay just one white egg per year! They nest in burrows, rock cracks, or under vegetation on remote islands. Both parents take turns sitting on the egg. Incubation times are long—from about 40 days in small storm petrels to over 50 days in larger species. Petrel parents are very patient sitters!

Petrel chicks hatch covered in fluffy gray or white down! Both parents feed the chick by regurgitating a mix of fish, squid, and rich stomach oil. The parents may fly hundreds of miles to find food, leaving the chick alone for days at a time. The fat-rich stomach oil helps the chick gain weight quickly between feedings!

Baby petrels grow very slowly compared to land birds! Storm petrel chicks may stay in their burrow for 50 to 70 days before fledging. Larger petrel chicks stay even longer. As the chick grows, it sometimes becomes heavier than its parents! It uses this extra fat as fuel while developing its flight feathers. By the time it leaves, the chick has slimmed down!

When a young petrel leaves its burrow, it heads straight to the ocean! Most petrel chicks leave at night, waddling or fluttering to the nearest water. Once at sea, the young petrel is on its own. It must learn to find food, ride the winds, and survive ocean storms. Some petrel species don't return to land for two to five years after fledging!

Why Are Petrels Special?

Petrels are the true masters of the open ocean! No other group of birds is so perfectly suited for life far from land. They spend more time over water than any other birds. Petrels prove that incredible wildlife exists even in the most remote, empty-looking stretches of ocean!

Petrels are important indicators of ocean health! Because they travel so widely and eat from many parts of the food chain, changes in petrel populations can signal problems in the ocean. Pollution, overfishing, and plastic waste all affect petrels. Studying petrels helps scientists understand the health of our oceans!

Many petrel species are in danger! Island-nesting petrels are threatened by introduced rats, cats, and other predators. Light pollution disorients young petrels leaving their burrows. Plastic trash in the ocean is eaten by petrels who mistake it for food. Conservation groups are removing predators from nesting islands and reducing light pollution to help petrels survive!

Petrels connect us to the mystery and wonder of the open sea! These birds live in a world most humans never see—the vast, empty ocean far from any shore. They ride hurricanes, fly through fog, and navigate by smell across featureless water. Petrels remind us that the ocean is full of life and wonder!