Fea’s Petrel, Pterodroma feae, is one of the rarest North American birds, highly sought by sea birders on east coast trips.It was first recorded about 1997 for the U.S. and 1998 for Canada. It has a pale grey nape, whitish upper tail coverts, and an under wing that is mostly dark. It breeds on Cape Verde and sometimes known as Cape Verde Petrel.
There is and has been a great deal of confusion about this species. It and Zino’s Petrel have been considered subspecies of the Soft-plumaged Petrel, P. mollis. Zino’s Petrel, which is less robust than Fea’s Petrel, may also occur off the Carolina coast, and all sightings and photographs should be examined for this possibility.
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