Wilson's Storm Petrel

Wilson's storm petrel is a small seabird, 16–18.5cm long with a wingspan of 38–42cm, slightly larger than the European storm petrel. It is dark brown in all plumages apart from a white rump and flanks, with a diffuse pale band along the upper wing coverts and no white lining to the underwing. In flight its feet project just beyond the square-ended tail. The webbing between the toes is yellow with black spots in young birds. It is named after the ornithologist Alexander Wilson (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is one of the most abundant birds in the world, with a population estimated in 2022 at 8–20 million. It breeds on Antarctic coasts and nearby islands during the southern summer and spends the rest of the year at sea, moving into northern oceans during the southern winter. Storm petrels were once thought to foretell storms, which gave the group its name. SoIB 2023 lists it as a summer visitor to Indian waters but gives no trend or priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).