Systematics

Described as Cymochorea markhami Salvin 1883 (15 Salvin, O. (1883). A list of the birds collected by Captain A. H. Markham on the west coast of America. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1883:419–432. Close : page 430); type locality "Coast of Peru, lat. 19º 40'S, long. 75º W." It is named for Captain Albert Hastings Markham, who collected the type specimen off southern Peru.

This species was classified for many years in the genus Oceanodroma, (e.g., 16 Peters, J. L. (1931). Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume 1. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA. Close , 17 Jouanin, C., and J.-L. Mougin (1979) Order Procellariformes. Pages 48-121 in Check-list of birds of the world, Volume 1, wecond edition (E. Mayr and G. W. Cottrell, editors). Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Close , 18 Dickinson, E. C., Editor (2003). The Howard and Moore complete checklist of the birds of the world. Third edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA. Close ). Genetic data consistently indicate, however, that Hydrobates (previously considered to contain only a single species, European Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus) is embedded within the species traditionally assigned to Oceanodroma (e.g., 19 Penhallurick, J., and M. Wink (2004) Analysis of the taxonomy and nomenclature of the Procellariiformes based on complete nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Emu 104: 125–147. Close , 20 Wallace, S. J., J. A. Morris-Pocock, J. González-Solís, P. Quillfeldt, and V. L. Friesen (2017) A phylogenetic test of sympatric speciation in the Hydrobatinae (Aves: Procellariiformes). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 107:39–47. Close ). As a result, some authors suggested that Oceanodroma be broken into several smaller genera; for example, under this approach Penhallurick and Wink (19 Penhallurick, J., and M. Wink (2004) Analysis of the taxonomy and nomenclature of the Procellariiformes based on complete nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Emu 104: 125–147. Close ) tentatively placed Markham's Storm-Petrel in Cymochorea, along with Leach's Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates leucorhous), Swinhoe's Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates monorhis), Tristram's Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates tristrami), Ashy Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates homochroa), Guadalupe Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates macrodactylus), and Ringed Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates hornbyi). More frequently, checklist authorities instead have opted to lump all Oceanodroma storm petrels into an expanded Hydrobates, which has priority (e.g., 21 Dickinson, E. C., and J. V. Remsen Jr., Editors (2013). The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Fourth edition. Volume 1. Aves Press, Eastbourne, UK. Close , 22 Chesser, R. T., K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, A. W. Kratter, I. J. Lovette, P. C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen Jr., D. F. Stotz, and K. Winker (2019). Sixtieth supplement to the American Ornithological Society's Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 136: ukz042. Close ).

Currently considered monotypic. However, there are differences in the breeding phenology between different populations (see Phenology), which could lead to allochronic speciation (23 Barros, R., F. Medrano, H. V. Norambuena, R. Peredo, R. Silva, F. de Groote and F. Schmitt (2019) Breeding phenology, distribution and conservation status of Markham's Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma markhami in the Atacama Desert. Ardea 107: 75–84. Close ); further investigation is warranted.

Markham's Storm-Petrel is part of the large genus Hydrobates. Within this genus, the affinities of Markham's Storm-Petrel are unclear. The phylogenetic study with the greatest sampling within the genus suggested that markhami is sister to Black Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates melania) (20 Wallace, S. J., J. A. Morris-Pocock, J. González-Solís, P. Quillfeldt, and V. L. Friesen (2017) A phylogenetic test of sympatric speciation in the Hydrobatinae (Aves: Procellariiformes). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 107:39–47. Close ). The reported level of genetic divergence between these two species was so low, however, that it called into question whether the sample that was presented as markhami in fact was a misidentified specimen of melania (online comments by Alvaro Jaramillo). Further research, with well-verified specimens, will be necessary to clarify the affinities of markhami within Hydrobates.

Vernacular Names

It is locally known as "Golondrina de Mar Negra" (literally, black sea swallow) in Chile and Perú (24 Barros, R., A. Jaramillo, and F. Schmitt (2015). Lista de las Aves de Chile 2014. La Chiricoca 20:79–100. Close ).

Scientific Name

The genus Hydrobates means literally "water walker" because of the behavior of storm-petrels at-sea (25 Jobling, J. A. (2010). Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. A. & C. Black, London, UK. Close ). The specific epithet is in honor of the collector of the first skins of this species, Albert Hastings Markham (1841-1918), from the Royal Navy (25 Jobling, J. A. (2010). Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. A. & C. Black, London, UK. Close ).

None known.