This small seabird has a dark back and white underside and dives for food along the Humboldt Current coast.
It has a compact body, broad wings, a short neck, and a barely visible tail. Its upperparts are dark and its underside is white, with pale spots on the shoulder feathers.
It flies quickly close to the sea, rests afloat, and dives to feed.
A study at La Vieja Island off central Peru recorded seasonal diet shifts: fish larvae were more common in winter, and planktonic crustaceans in summer.
IUCN Red List · Near Threatened (NT) · Global