Wilson's Storm-Petrel vs White-faced Storm-Petrel

Wilson's Storm-Petrel and White-faced Storm-Petrel can be distinguished by their flight patterns and facial markings. Wilson's has a more fluttering flight and lacks the distinctive white face of the White-faced Storm-Petrel, which exhibits a unique bounding flight and a striking white face with a dark cap.

1. Flight pattern: Look for the fluttering flight of Wilson's versus the bounding, bouncing flight of the White-faced. 2. Facial markings: Note the absence of a white face in Wilson's Storm-Petrel. 3. Rump color: Wilson's has a white rump, while White-faced has a white face and underparts. 4. Behavior at sea: Wilson's patters on the water, White-faced bounces off it.

Both species are small storm-petrels, but Wilson's Storm-Petrel is slightly smaller and more compact.

Wilson's Storm-Petrel is mostly dark with a white rump, while the White-faced Storm-Petrel has a white face with a dark cap and eye patch, brown upperparts, and white underparts.

Wilson's Storm-Petrel forages by pattering its feet on the water surface, whereas the White-faced Storm-Petrel is known for its 'pogo-stick' bouncing flight, pushing off the water with its feet.

Both species are pelagic and breed on remote islands, but White-faced Storm-Petrel is more likely to be seen offshore from both coasts of South America and occasionally the east coast of North America.