Birds Of The World: Read More Articles About: Birds Of The World
( Originally Published Early 1900's ) The final members of this
subfamily are the little Dove Petrels (Prion), of which some
four species are recognized; all are inhabitants of the southern
oceans. About twelve inches long, the upper surface is ashy
blue, darker on the head and under the eye, and white below,
while there is a very distinct black V-shaped band running from
the wrist-joint along the radial portion of the wing to and
across the rump, which is very conspicuous when the bird is
flying. The several species are mainly distinguished by the
width of the bill. The common Dove Petrel (P. Desolatus) is
perhaps the best known, being not uncommon in the South Atlantic
and Antarctic seas. They fly in small flocks, and Kidder notes
that they use first one wing and then the other, producing a
peculiar irregularity of flight, that leads them to be often
mistaken for shore-birds. They are rather wary, not feeding on
the scraps from a ship, but att