Species names in all available languages
Language | Common name |
---|---|
Catalan | petrell del Carib |
Czech | buřňák černotemenný |
Danish | Cariberpetrel |
Dutch | Zwartkapstormvogel |
English | Black-capped Petrel |
English (United States) | Black-capped Petrel |
French | Pétrel diablotin |
French (France) | Pétrel diablotin |
Galician | Freira das Antillas |
German | Teufelssturmvogel |
Greek | Μαυροκέφαλος Πτεροδρόμος |
Haitian Creole (Haiti) | Chanwan Lasèl |
Hebrew | סערון שחור-כיפה |
Hungarian | Karib viharmadár |
Icelandic | Blesudrúði |
Japanese | ズグロシロハラミズナギドリ |
Lithuanian | Karibinis audrašauklis |
Norwegian | vestindiapetrell |
Polish | petrel antylski |
Portuguese (Brazil) | diablotim |
Portuguese (Portugal) | Freira-das-antilhas |
Romanian | Petrel caraibian |
Russian | Черношапочный тайфунник |
Serbian | Crnokapa burnica |
Slovak | tajfúnnik čiapočkatý |
Slovenian | Karibski švigavec |
Spanish | Petrel Antillano |
Spanish (Costa Rica) | Petrel Gorrinegro |
Spanish (Cuba) | Pájaro de La Bruja |
Spanish (Dominican Republic) | Diablotín |
Spanish (Puerto Rico) | Petrel Antillano |
Spanish (Spain) | Petrel antillano |
Spanish (Venezuela) | Petrel Cabecinegro |
Swedish | karibpetrell |
Turkish | Kara Başlıklı Fırtınakuşu |
Ukrainian | Тайфунник кубинський |
Revision Notes
The Conservation and Management page was updated to reflect the species' listing on the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Pterodroma hasitata (Kuhl, 1820)
Definitions
- PTERODROMA
- hasitata
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata Scientific name definitions
Version: 3.1 — Published February 2, 2024
Sounds and Vocal Behavior
Introduction
Translated into English, “diablotin” means little devil, presumably as a reference to the bird’s haunting nocturnal calls.
Vocalizations
The Black-capped Petrel can be heard overland as a low-octave oooohhhh, oooohhh, ooohhhh-eek . Reynard (recordists notes in ML139296), while collecting sound recordings of the species in Haiti, described the flight calls as “a penetrating resonant growl punctuated by high frequency squeaks.” Simons et al. (5) report that the birds fly in pairs or small groups calling back and forth, and it is likely that the primary function of calling behavior is related to pair formation and maintenance. Calling is most often heard in and around the colony locations. Calling of petrels in-flight over land away from colonies is rare and the birds seem to be mostly silent when traveling between the sea and nesting areas, though vocalizations have been heard at dusk on coastlines, presumably when flying to nesting areas (47, 48). Occasionally, petrels call from inside their nesting burrows with low grunts or squeaks. The seasonal timing of calls peaks early in the nesting season and steadily declines over the course of the nesting season. At nesting sites, most calling activity is detected during 2–5 hours after local sunset (Fleishman and McKown, personal observation).
At sea, petrels are generally silent. Simons et al. (5) summarized the observations of Wingate (21), Imber (35), and Lee (personal observation) that individuals at chum slicks occasionally uttered single waaahh or aaa-aw when feeding. On one occasion during December, Lee noted that many petrels he saw at sea were vocal. At sea offshore from Hatteras, North Carolina, petrels have been heard to vocalize when feeding on chum with other petrels but rarely when feeding on chum with mixed flocks (KES, personal observation, 2019–2021).
Nonvocal Sounds
This species also has a tendency to produce a flute-like sound during nocturnal overflights of the colony, apparently created by wind passing over the birds’ wing (5; AB, personal observation).