The ringed storm petrel, also known as Hornby's storm petrel, is a seabird that ranges in the Humboldt Current off the coasts of South America. The species is a very distinctive member of the storm petrel family, with a dark cap, white face and underparts, forked tail and a black band across the chest. It is relatively common in the seas off Peru, Chile and Ecuador. The species is named after Admiral Sir Phipps Hornby.
Region
Humboldt Current off western South America
Typical Environment
Occurs mainly off Peru and northern Chile, with regular records to Ecuador and occasional sightings farther north. At sea it favors cold, nutrient-rich upwelling zones, frontal lines, and shelf edges. Breeding sites are unusual for a seabird, located inland in the extremely arid Atacama Desert of Peru and Chile, where it uses burrows and natural crevices. Outside the breeding season it disperses widely across the Southeast Pacific but remains associated with productive waters.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 3500 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called Hornby's storm petrel, it forages over the cold Humboldt Current but breeds far inland in the Atacama Desert, sometimes over 100 km from the sea. Fledglings are frequently grounded by urban lights along the Peruvian and Chilean coasts, and rescue programs now collect and release them offshore. It nests in crevices and burrows on barren desert slopes and salt flats, returning to colonies only at night. The species is named for Admiral Sir Phipps Hornby.
Illustration by Joseph Smit, 1896
At sea, showing the distinctive black band and cap
Temperament
pelagic and wary, often in loose associations
Flight Pattern
low over waves with quick fluttering wingbeats and brief glides
Social Behavior
A colonial nester that visits inland colonies only at night, likely to reduce predation and heat stress. It nests in burrows or natural crevices, laying a single egg that both adults incubate. Chicks fledge to the sea and do not return to land for years.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Mostly silent at sea; around colonies it gives soft chattering and purring calls at night. Vocalizations are subdued and carry only short distances, aiding in mate and burrow recognition.
