Wilson's storm petrel

or Wilson's storm-petrel

noun

1. a small petrel, Oceanites oceanicus, that breeds in the Southern Hemisphere but ranges into the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Wilson's storm petrel¹

Named after Alexander Wilson (1766–1813), Scottish-American ornithologist

Example Sentences

How could the tiny orange flags set by our guides compete for my gaze with the bleached bones of a whale laid out on the sand or the air ballet of the Wilson’s storm petrel?

From Washington Post

Prof Martin said that the diminutive Wilson's storm petrel had been almost totally wiped out.

From BBC