This section is from the book "Bird Guide: Water Birds, Game Birds And Birds Of Prey East Of The Rockies", by Chester A. Reed. Also available from Amazon: The Bird Book.
104. Thalassidroma pelagica. 5.5 in.
Smallest of our petrels, and darker than either the Leach or Wilson; tail square; upper tail coverts white. tipped with black.
This species is rare on the coasts of this country, but is common on the shores of the old world. It is the original "Mother Cary's Chicken." They nest abundantly on the shores of Europe and the British Isle-.
Their single white eggs, deposited at the end of burrows, are dull white with a faint wreath of brown dots.
 
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