Diet and Foraging

Microhabitat for Foraging

Subadults tend to forage further offshore (greater than 500 km from the coast), while adults are found in greater numbers inshore (less than 200 km from the coast; 35 Spear, L. B., and D. G. Ainley (2007). Storm-petrels of the Eastern Pacific Ocean: Species assembly and diversity along marine habitat gradients. Ornithological Monographs 62:1–77. Close ).

Food Capture and Consumption

Markham's Storm-Petrel flies "into the wind with steady wingbeats, occasional pauses, and short glides, swooping up to drop on food and patter briefly, the wings raised in a V and bowed slightly at the wrist" (3 Howell, S. N. G. (2012) Petrels, albatrosses, and storm-petrels of North America. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Close ). It also appears to pick at food while on the water, with its wings raised and fluttering (3 Howell, S. N. G. (2012) Petrels, albatrosses, and storm-petrels of North America. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Close ). Relative to other storm-petrels, Markham's Storm-Petrel is thought to have short tarsi and medium wing loading, which could be related to its foraging behaviors (38 Sausner, J., J. C. Torres-Mura, J. Robertson, and F. Hertel (2016). Ecomorphological differences in foraging and pattering behavior among stormpetrels in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Auk 133:397–414. Close ).

Major Food Items

Primarily takes fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans, most commonly Peruvian anchovy (Engraulis ringens), pelagic squat lobster (Pleuroncodes monodon), and oceanic octopus (Japetella sp.)(27 García-Godos, I., E. Goya, and J. Jahncke (2002) The diet of Markham’s Storm Petrel Oceanodroma markhami on the central coast of Peru. Marine Ornithology 30: 77–83. Close ).

Quantitative Analyses

Off Peru, the diet was 54% fish, 36% cephalopods, and 10% crustaceans (27 García-Godos, I., E. Goya, and J. Jahncke (2002) The diet of Markham’s Storm Petrel Oceanodroma markhami on the central coast of Peru. Marine Ornithology 30: 77–83. Close ).

Diet apparently varies yearly, particularly during El Niño and La Niña events, when changes in water temperature alter the availability of prey items (27 García-Godos, I., E. Goya, and J. Jahncke (2002) The diet of Markham’s Storm Petrel Oceanodroma markhami on the central coast of Peru. Marine Ornithology 30: 77–83. Close ).

Information is needed.

Information is needed.

Information is needed.