Pincoya Storm-Petrel Oceanites pincoyae Scientific name definitions

The Pincoya Storm-Petrel is one of the least known seabirds in the world. First described in 2013, it has been reported only from at-sea observations from a small area in south-central Chile, near Chiloe Island. It probably breeds in the Chiloe region, but it is possible that its nesting sites are farther inland and at higher elevations, or in the Chilean fjords. Pincoya Storm-Petrel is very similar to the other species in the genus, especially Wilson's Storm-Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus) and Elliot's Storm-Petrel (Oceanites gracilis); the identification criteria that distinguish these three species still are being refined. Based on current evidence, Pincoya Storm-Petrel has a white belly patch, like Elliot's Storm-Petrel, but differs from both Wilson's Storm-Petrel and Elliot's Storm-Petrel by having a much bolder, whiter bar across the upper surface of the wing and more white on the vanes of the outer rectrices. Almost nothing is known about its diet, but it forages on the water similarly to other storm-petrels, using a foot-pattering behavior, but also plunge-dives into the water and runs across the water in a "mouse-run" where its wings are held close to the body. It is thought to have a relatively small population of approximately 3,000 individuals, though its true population and conservation status is not fully understood since its breeding grounds have yet to be discovered.