Parts of this article (those related to the Known species sections) need to beupdated. The reason given is:the Known species section includes a partly outdated generic and family-level classification and doesn't cite any relevant sources published since 2004 (or any relevant phylogenetic studies published since the late '90s). Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2021)

Petrels are tube-nosedseabirds in thephylogenetic orderProcellariiformes.

Petrels are amonophyletic^[1] group of marine seabirds, sharing a characteristic of a nostril arrangement that results in the name "tubenoses".^[2] Petrels encompass three of the four extant families within the Procellariiformes order, namelyProcellariidae (fulmarine petrels, gadfly petrels, diving petrels, prions, and shearwaters),Hydrobatidae (northern storm petrels), andOceanitidae (austral storm petrels). The remaining family in Procellariiformes is thealbatross family, Diomedeidae.

The wordpetrel (first recorded in that spelling 1602) comes from likely earlier (though not recorded until 1676)pitteral orpittrel, and refers to the way thestorm petrel patters with its feet over the sea surface.^[3] The English explorerWilliam Dampier wrote^{[citation needed]} the bird was so called from its way of flying with its feet just skimming the surface of the water, recallingSaint Peter's walk on the sea of Galilee (Matthew xiv.28), being formed in English as a diminutive of Peter (< OldFrench:Peterelle (?) < LateLatin:Peterellus < LateLatin:Petrus <Ancient Greek:Πέτρος,romanized: Petros <Ancient Greek:πέτρα,romanized: petra = "stone"); this connection is however due to later speculation.^[3]

All the members of the order are exclusivelypelagic in distribution, returning to land only to breed.

The familyHydrobatidae comprises thenorthern storm petrels, the "true" petrels of the Northern Hemisphere, characterised by very small size, pattering flight while feeding, and strictly nocturnal behaviour when visiting their breeding sites on remote islands. The 18 species currently accepted are now all included in the genusHydrobates, after the former genusOceanodroma was shown to beparaphyletic with respect toHydrobates.^[4] Despite their tiny size, they are remakably long-lived, withEuropean storm petrel known to exceed 38 years even though only weighing 20–30 g (slightly less than ahouse sparrow).^[5]

The familyProcellariidae is the main radiation of medium-sized petrels and shearwaters, characterised by united nostrils with medium septum, and a long outer functional primary feather. It is dominant in theSouthern Oceans, but less so in the Northern Hemisphere.

It includes a number of petrel groups, the relationships between which have finally been resolved to satisfaction.^[6][7][8][9]

• The fulmarine petrels: seven species of surface predators andfilter feeders, breed in high latitudes butmigrate along cool currents to the north. All butFulmarus are essentially confined to the south,Fulmarus apparently colonised the Northern Hemisphere during the EarlyMiocene.
  • The hugegiant petrels, genusMacronectes, which are convergent with thealbatrosses in size, though not behaviour
  • The truefulmars, genusFulmarus
  • Antarctic petrelThalassoica antarctica
  • Cape petrelDaption capense
  • Snow petrelPagodroma nivea
• Theprions: A specialised group of a few very numerous species, all southern. They have a small, fulmar-like form and mostly filter-feed on zooplankton.
  • Pachyptila, the prions proper
• The procellariine petrels, larger or mid-sized species feeding on fish and molluscs which are fairly close to the prions:
  • Procellaria
  • Bulweria
• Shearwaters: There are numerous species in several genera with a medium number of species.
  • Calonectris
  • Puffinus, which is two rather distinct groups of larger and smaller species
  • Pseudobulweria
  • Kerguelen petrelLugensa brevirostris
• Thegadfly petrels: These are a considerable number of agile short-billed petrels in the genusPterodroma which include the endangeredBermuda petrel (or cahow) and a considerable number of forms renderedextinct by human activity.
• Thediving petrels: These are the four species of superficiallyauk-like small petrels of the southern oceans in the genusPelacanoides.

Many members of this family are also extraordinarily long-lived for their size, withManx shearwater known to exceed 50 years.^[10]

The familyOceanitidae is theaustral (orsouthern)storm petrels. They are small pelagic petrels with a fluttering flight which often follow ships. They show markedconvergence with the northern Hydrobatidae in size and behaviour, but are actually more closely related toalbatrosses than they are to the other petrels.^[4]

Petrels are culturally significant,^{[citation needed]} and well-known poems have been written about the bird. One such example is given here.

Up and down! - up and down!
From the base of the wave to the billow’s crown,
And amidst the flashing and feathery foam
The stormy petrel finds a home, -
A home, if such a place may be
For her who lives on the wide, wide sea.

O’er the deep! - o’er the deep!
Where the whale and the shark and the sword-fish sleep, -
Outflying the blast and the driving rain,
The petrel telleth her tale — in vain!

• Skua
• Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

• The dictionary definition ofpetrel at Wiktionary
• Petrel and shearwater videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP)

• Procellariiformes
• Seabirds
• Petrels
• Bird common names

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