petrel
1
9.6
- noun
- /ˈpɛtrəl/
:
pájaros de mar
- The skies are usually thick with petrels and other seabirds in late spring.
- petrels and albatrosses
Examples
-
They've helped move rare Bermuda petrels away from rising sea levels and restored other seabirds to tiny, remote islands in the South Pacific.
Blog text (8) -
Every morning the petrels take flight just before the wind turns east.
-
Above this ethereal vision, thousands of petrels returning to burrows filled the night sky.
Academic text (1995) -
The Bonin Petrel has a distinctive raucous call as it hones in on its burrow.
Academic text (1999) -
Birds have completely taken over the parade grounds and most of the golf course, and the remaining three holes are not off-limits to nesting petrels and albatrosses.
Academic text (1999) -
Every morning, the petrel takes flight just before the wind turns east.
-
At dawn, the last petrels head back out to sea after a night of foraging.
Synonyms
10
1.9
A bird that lives near the sea and often flies over water, like gulls or albatrosses
1
2.0
A bird that lives near the sea, like a gull
A seabird like an albatross or petrel with tube-like nostrils that lives at sea
A large sea bird with long wings, tube nostrils, and a hooked bill that travels the open ocean
A bird that lives and travels far out at sea
Compounds
- Australian
A small seabird from the Southern Hemisphere that dives underwater to catch food
- Australian
A large seabird like a big seagull that lives near Antarctic seas and eats dead animals, fish, and squid
A small black bird with white marks that lives in northern seas like the Atlantic and Mediterranean
- Specialized
A small seabird with dark feathers and pale belly that flies over the sea near storms
- Australian
A large black sea bird with a white patch on its chin that lives in southern oceans
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word petrel comes from a popular old story that links it to Peter: people thought the bird seemed to 'walk on water' like Saint Peter. That's why petrel now names a small seabird often seen skimming and running above the open ocean.