Mary Allen
Mbalameyi ndi mbalame yapakatikati pa nyanja. Itha kuwonedwa panyanja iliyonse padziko lapansi. Petrels amasiyana kwambiri kukula kwake. Kutengera ndi mitundu, imatha kukula pakati pa 25 centimita ndi 100 centimita mu kukula ndi kukhala ndi mapiko otalika mpaka mamita awiri. Ichi ndi chachikulu ngati chitseko cha chipinda chapamwamba.
Tizilombo tating'ono kwambiri timalemera magalamu 170 okha, omwe ndi pafupifupi kulemera kofanana ndi tsabola. Petrel wamkulu amatha kulemera mpaka ma kilogalamu asanu. Amafanana ndi albatross. Kaya zazikulu kapena zazing'ono, akalulu amatha kuwuluka bwino kwambiri. Kumbali ina, sangathe kuyenda pamtunda ndi miyendo yawo yofooka. Kuti asagwere, amafunikira mapiko awo kuti awathandize.
Palibe mtundu weniweni wa petrel. Nthenga zake nthawi zina zimakhala zoyera, zofiirira, zotuwa, kapena zakuda. Petrel nthawi zambiri imakhala ndi nthenga zakuda kumbuyo ndi nthenga zopepuka pamimba. Mlomo wake ndi wokhotakhota ndipo utali wa masentimita atatu. Ndi pafupi utali ngati chofufutira. Mphuno ziwiri zonga machubu kumbali yakumtunda kwa mlomo ndi zapadera: mbalamezi zimatulutsa mchere wa m'nyanja m'madzi kudzera m'mipata imeneyi.
Mulomo wa petrel ndi wosongoka ngati msomali ndipo uli ndi nsonga zakuthwa. Zimenezi zimathandiza kuti mbalameyo igwire ndi kugwira nyama yake. Amakonda kudya nsomba zing’onozing’ono ndi nkhono zina.
Petrels nthawi zambiri amakhala payekha. Koma m’nyengo yokwerera, amakhala m’magulu akuluakulu m’matanthwe otsetsereka. Gulu lililonse limakwirira dzira, lomwe limatha kutenga miyezi iwiri. Dzira lili ndi chigoba choyera kwambiri ndipo ndi lalikulu kwambiri poyerekeza ndi kukula kwa mwanapiye. Anapiye akamaswa, zimatha kutenga miyezi inayi kuti tinyama ting'onoting'ono tiwuluke.
Adani achilengedwe a petrel omwe ali mumlengalenga ndi khwangwala wamba, akalulu akulu, ndi mbalame zina zodya nyama. Pamtunda, ayenera kusamala ndi nkhandwe za kumtunda ndi anthu.