cahow

bird

Also known as: Bermuda petrel, Pterodroma cahow

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June 22, 2026

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The cahow, also known as the Bermuda petrel, is a dark-colored petrel (Pterodroma cahow). This bird was once abundant in Bermuda but is now nearly extinct. The word "cahow" is imitative in origin and was first used in 1615. A variation of this spelling is "cohow".12

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petrel
…the endangered Bermuda petrel, or cahow (Pterodroma cahow, sometimes considered a race of P. hasitata); the dark-rumped petrel, also called the Hawaiian petrel (P. phaeopygia), another endangered species, now concentrated almost entirely on the island of Maui; the phoenix petrel (P. alba), which breeds on several tropical archipelagos; and the…
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…the endangered Bermuda petrel, or cahow (Pterodroma cahow, sometimes considered a race of P. hasitata); the dark-rumped petrel, also called the Hawaiian petrel (P. phaeopygia), another endangered species, now concentrated almost entirely on the island of Maui; the phoenix petrel (P. alba), which breeds on several tropical archipelagos; and the…
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procellariiform
Importance to humans
…colonization of Bermuda, millions of cahows, or Bermuda petrels (Pterodroma cahow), were eaten almost to extinction by the colonists. For nearly 300 years the species was believed extinct, but in 1951 a few pairs were discovered nesting on an offshore islet, where a remnant now survives under strict protection. The…
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…colonization of Bermuda, millions of cahows, or Bermuda petrels (Pterodroma cahow), were eaten almost to extinction by the colonists. For nearly 300 years the species was believed extinct, but in 1951 a few pairs were discovered nesting on an offshore islet, where a remnant now survives under strict protection. The…
Read More