A small family oceanic birds similar to shearwaters but smaller with a more fluttery flight and with the nostril tubes joined into a single aperture.
Storm-petrels are the smallest oceanic birds and their weak butterfly like flight and habit of hovering and treading the water with their webbed feet makes them easy to recognize from other seabirds.
Storm-petrels feed on small crustaceans or floating organic debris. They nest in rock crevices and burrows on rocky shores and islands.
Individual species are often difficult to distinguish but only two species are recorded for Javan waters.
Key to Javan Storm-Petrels
Rump white………………………………………….Oceanites oceanicus
Rump dark grey……………………....................Oceanodroma monorhis
source: Mckinnon. Java and Bali. Gadjah Mada University Press. Jojakarta