Wp/nys/Nekayit (White-faced Storm Petrel)

Nekayit

Nekayit (Noongar LOTE and Kongal-marawar) is called in English the White-faced storm petrel and its scientific name is Pelagodroma marina. Kaldjirkang maambakoort-ngat (birds we often see at the sea shore). It is a small seabird of the petrel and shearwater family.

Its plumage makes it one of the easier petrels to identify at sea. It is rare to see it on land as Nekayit is strictly pelagic, i.e. ocean going except for returning to land to breed. But it is difficult to see at its breeding sites, because as well as its breeding sites being very remote Nekayit is strictly nocturnal at the breeding sites to avoid predation by gulls and skuas, and will even avoid coming to land on clear moonlit nights! Only in severe storms might you see Nekayit blown over land. It has a direct gliding flight and will patter on the water surface as it picks planktonic food items from the ocean surface. It is highly gregarious, but does not follow ships. Like most petrels, its walking ability is limited to a short shuffle to the burrow.

There are no global conservation concerns for this bird, and its conservation status is 'Least Concern'.