storm petrel
Small dark seabird
A storm petrel is a small seabird that spends most of its life over open ocean, coming ashore only to breed.
These dark, swallow-sized birds flutter low over waves, sometimes appearing to walk on water—a behavior that gave them their name, after Saint Peter walking on the Sea of Galilee.
Sailors traditionally considered them omens of approaching storms.
Tube-nosed pelagic bird
- albatrossLong-winged oceanic bird
- fulmarTube-nosed seabird species
- puffinStocky auk, bright beak
- gullCoastal scavenging seabird
pelagic · seabird · marine · wingspan · plumage · feathers · beak · nesting
Prophetic indicator
- harbingerOne who foreshadows
- superstitionBaseless belief in omens
- tempestViolent windstorm or turmoil
- galeSevere sustained wind
squall · ghostly · spectral · portent · premonition
Extremely small in size
- smallLimited in size
- diminutiveVery small, or nickname form
- littleSmall in degree
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
Movement to new territory
- nocturnalActive during darkness
- patteringLight rapid tapping
- hoveringSuspended without support
- flutteringLight, rapid movement
oceanic · wandering · foraging · plankton · krill · fish oil · regurgitation · monogamous
shearwater
Tube-nosed pelagic bird
gull · pelagic · seabird · marine · wingspan · plumage · feathers · beak · nesting · burrow
omen
Prophetic indicator
- harbingerOne who foreshadows
- superstitionBaseless belief in omens
- tempestViolent windstorm or turmoil
tiny
Extremely small in size
- smallLimited in size
- diminutiveVery small, or nickname form
- littleSmall in degree
delicate · lightweight · dainty · minute · compact · fragile · petite
migration
Movement to new territory
fluttering · oceanic · wandering · foraging · plankton · krill · fish oil · regurgitation · monogamous · long-lived