Endangered Species of the World: Bermuda Petrel

The Bermuda petrel is the national bird of Bermuda.

Scientists once thought it was extinct because none had been seen in over 300 years. But then, in 1951, about 18 nesting pairs were discovered on remote rocky islets.

But while the Bermuda petrel isn’t extinct, it is still critically endangered, despite being officially protected by local law.

There are believed to be only about 250 Bermuda petrel birds alive today, in part because a hurricane in 2003 wiped out much of their limited breeding area.

Another problem is that these birds nest on the ground, which makes them more vulnerable to prey.

Back in the 1600s, these birds’ strange cries so spooked Spanish explorers that they chose not to settle on the islands where the birds lived, fearing the islands were inhabited by devils.

Bermuda is in the Atlantic OceanThe Bermuda petrel moves around at night. His favorite foods are squid and fish. When not reproducing, Bermuda petrels fly far and wide over the North Atlantic.