Fossil material of an extinct species Procellaria altirostris discovered in New Zealand and dating from the Pliocene was described in 2021.[7]
Description
Procellaria is a member of the familyProcellariidae and the orderProcellariiformes. As members of Procellariiformes, they share certain characteristics. First they have tubular nostrils called naricorns. This feature gives them their common name, tubenoses. The opening to the nostril is located differently in some birds. These birds have the opening on top of the upper bill. Second, they produce a stomach oil that contains wax esters and triglycerides. This oil fills two functions. When predators threaten the birds or their chick or egg, they spit the substance on them. This substance has an awful smell, and mats the feathers down, degrading their usefulness. Also, they can digest the wax esters for a high energy source of food, during long flights or the period of time that they are incubating their egg or caring for their young. They also have a uniquely structured bill, with seven to nine distinct horny plates.[8] Finally, they have a salt gland that is located above their nasal passages and helps desalinate their body, as they drink seawater. They excrete the salty waste out their nose.[9]
Distribution and habitat
They range from the cold waters of the Southern Ocean to temperate waters, and are pelagic except during the breeding season.
Behaviour
These tubenoses fly like shearwaters, with stiff wings and shearing technique across wave fronts. This technique saves energy. During breeding season they utilize coastal cliffs on islands, laying their single egg in a burrow.[10]
^Estandia, A; Chesser, RT; James, HF; Levy, MA; Ferrer Obiol, J; Bretagnolle, V; Gonzales-Solis, J; Welch, AJ (July 2021). "Substitution rate variation in a robust procellariiform seabird phylogeny is not solely explained by body mass, flight efficiency, population size or life history traits". bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/2021.07.27.453752. S2CID236502443.
Double, M. C. (2003). "Procellariiformes (Tubenosed Seabirds)". In Hutchins, Michael; Jackson, Jerome A.; Bock, Walter J.; Olendorf, Donna (eds.). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Volume 8: Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins. Joseph E. Trumpey, Chief Scientific Illustrator (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 107–111. ISBN0-7876-5784-0.
Ehrlich, Paul R.; Dobkin, David, S.; Wheye, Darryl (1988). The Birders Handbook (1st ed.). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. pp. 29–31. ISBN0-671-65989-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)