Garrodia nereis

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Cladus: Aequornithes
Ordo: Procellariiformes

Familia: Hydrobatidae
Subfamilia: Oceanitinae
Genus: Garrodia
Species: Garrodia nereis
Name

Garrodia nereis (Gould, 1841)
Protonym

Thalassidroma nereis Gould, 1841
References

Gould 1841: Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London (1840) Pt8 no.95 p.178
Hawke, D.J.; Holdaway, R.N. 2009: Nutrient sources for forest birds captured within an undisturbed petrel colony, and management implications. Emu, 109: 163–169. DOI: 10.1071/MU08035

Vernacular names
Afrikaans: Grysrugstormswael
English: Grey-backed Storm-Petrel
français: Océanite néréide
Nederlands: Grijsrugstormvogeltje

The grey-backed storm petrel (Garrodia nereis) is a species of seabird in the austral storm petrel family Oceanitidae. It is monotypic within the genus Garrodia.[2] It is found in Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Chile, Falkland Islands, French Southern Territories, New Zealand, Saint Helena, South Africa, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Its natural habitat is open seas.[1] It is highly attracted to bright lights, especially in conditions of low visibility.[3]
Taxonomy

The genus Garrodia was created by William Alexander Forbes in 1881[2] and named after English zoologist Alfred Henry Garrod,[4] while the specific descriptor is an allusion to the Nereids, the sea nymphs of Greek mythology.[5]
Description

Grey-backed storm petrel is a small bird, 21-44 g in weight with a 39-40 cm wingspan. Like others in its family it is dark grey overall with a black head and belly, but it can be distinguished from other storm-petrels in its range by its light grey rump compared to the white rump on others. The Grey-backed petrel has a pale back, black legs, a square tail and a white belly.

Distribution

The grey-backed storm petrel has a distribution in the subantarctic in three disjunct populations, with one off of South America, on off of South Africa, and one off of Australia. It breeds in the Falkland Islands,[6] Chatham Islands, Gough Island, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Island, the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands, and Fiordland on the New Zealand mainland.[7]

Behaviour

Grey-backed storm petrels are mostly solitary during the non-breeding season. They breed in large colonies from August to March, where they share parental duties.

References

BirdLife International (2018). "Garrodia nereis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22729148A132660152. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22729148A132660152.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
"ITIS Report: Garrodia". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
"Garrodia nereis (Gould). Grey-backed Storm-Petrel. Océanite néréide.", The Birds of Africa, Academic Press Limited, 1982, doi:10.5040/9781472926982.0049, ISBN 978-0-1213-7301-6, retrieved 2023-09-16
Jobling (2010), p. 171.
Jobling (2010), p. 268.
"Grey-backed Storm-petrel Garrodia nereis". BirdLife International. Retrieved 30 October 2023.

Miskelly, Colin; Bishop, Colin R; Stahl, Jean-Claude; Tennyson, Alan J.D. (June 2021). "Further evidence in support of grey-backed storm petrels (Garrodia nereis) breeding in Fiordland". Notornis. 68: 177–181. Retrieved 30 October 2023.

Cited texts
Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Names. London, UK: Christopher Helm. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.