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Pterodroma heraldica

Kōputu

Herald Petrel

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Topview, and Intermediate morph underside	27KB
Image:	Intermediate and Dark morphs	23KB
Image:	Intermediate morph Herald vs. Kermadec	27KB
Sound:	Call (McPherson coll.)	246KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Herald Petrel, Trinidade Petrel, Trinidade Island Petrel [Errors: Trindade, Trinidad]; German Wappensturmvogel

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Kōputu (RR)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE on islands near Australia to Ducie (Pitcairn Group)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native, Resident Breeder; Marine, pelagic, nest on Land

SIMILAR SPECIES: Very difficult to separate from Kermadec Petrel (Pterodroma neglecta) unless calling when the very unusual call of the Kermadec separates easily from the simple rattling "kik-kik-kik-kik-kik-kik" of the Herald. The Kermadec also has white shafts on the primary feathers visible when the feathers are spread, and the tail is more rounded.

Enlarged Image of 'Pterodroma heraldica'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Pterodroma heraldica
SYNONYMS: Pterodroma arminjoniana heraldica

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); TETRAPODA; AVES; NEORNITHES; Procellariiformes; PROCELLARIIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
None recorded.

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM03b

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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