Zino's petrel (Pterodroma madeira) is a species of small seabird,
endemic to Madeira. This gadfly petrel is grey above with a dark "W"
across the wings. The wings are mainly blackish below, and the belly is
white. It is very similar in appearance to Fea's petrel, both being
formerly considered to be subspecies of the soft-plumaged petrel, but
Zino's was raised to a species on criteria including morphology and
mitochondrial DNA. Its breeding areas are a few ledges high in the
mountains of Madeira, where it nests in burrows which are visited only
at night. The single white egg is incubated by both adults, one sitting
while the other feeds on fish and squid at sea. This species is subject
to predation by introduced cats and rats, and in the past by humans.
Predator control and the removal of grazing animals has enabled the
population to recover although it remains listed as endangered on the
IUCN Red List. There was a major setback in 2010 when fires killed three
adults and 65 percent of the chicks.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zino%27s_petrel>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1621:
Samoset, a member of the Abenaki tribe, walked into Plymouth
Colony and greeted the Pilgrims in English (depicted).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoset>
1689:
The Royal Welch Fusiliers, one of the oldest line-infantry
regiments of the British Army, was founded.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Welch_Fusiliers>
1918:
Finnish Civil War: The Whites won the Battle of Länkipohja,
after which they executed at least 70 Reds.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_L%C3%A4nkipohja>
2003:
American peace activist Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by
an Israel Defense Forces armored bulldozer in Rafah while protesting the
demolition of a Palestinian house.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Corrie>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
growl:
1. (intransitive) To utter a deep guttural sound, as an angry animal; to
give forth an angry, grumbling sound.
2. (intransitive, jazz) Of a wind instrument: to produce a low-pitched
rumbling sound.
3. (intransitive, software) To send a user a message via the Growl
software library.
4. (transitive) To express (something) by growling.
5. (transitive, jazz) To play a wind instrument in a way that produces a
low-pitched rumbling sound.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/growl>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
I don't have a problem with someone using their talents to become
successful, I just don't think the highest calling is success. Things
like freedom and the expansion of knowledge are beyond success, beyond
the personal. Personal success is not wrong, but it is limited in
importance, and once you have enough of it it is a shame to keep
striving for that, instead of for truth, beauty, or justice.
--Richard Stallman
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_Stallman>