Black Petrel

The black petrel (Procellaria parkinsoni), (Māori: tāiko, or tākoketai) also called Parkinson's petrel, is a medium-sized, black-plumaged petrel, the smallest of the Procellaria. The species is an endemic breeder of New Zealand, breeding only on Great Barrier Island and Little Barrier Island, off the North Island. At sea it disperses as far as Australia and Ecuador. == Taxonomy == The black petrel was formally described in 1862 by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in a list of birds from New Zealand. He coined the binomial name Procellaria parkinsoni. The genus name is from the Latin procella meaning "storm" or "gale". The specific epithet parkinsoni was chosen to honour the artist and collector Sydney Parkinson. The species is considered to be monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. == Description == The plumage of the black petrel is all black, as are its legs and bill except for pale sections on the bill. It is a medium-sized petrel: males average about 720 g (25 oz), females around 680 g (24 oz). It has an overall length of 46 cm (18 in) and a wingspan averaging 115 cm (45 in). == Distribution == It is endemic to New Zealand. It was previously found…