| This species has a checkered taxonomic history, in part because what is considered as the "Herald Petrel" has breeding populations in the Pacific, south Atlantic, and the Indian oceans. Though originally it was mistakenly named the South Trinidad Petrel (misspelling of Trindade Island off Brazil where it nests), nearly all recent authorities have split the "Herald Petrel" into several species. The species found in the Atlantic and Indian oceans is now the Trindade Petrel, though retaining the original scientific name. (The taxon in the Pacific Ocean retains the Herald Petrel common name but is now Pterodroma heraldica).
Interestingly, the Trindade Petrel has several color phases, with the dark phase (overall sooty color) being most often seen off North Carolina; light phase birds are somewhat less numerous. These color phases are not related to subspecies/species differences, as the Atlantic populations contain all of such color phases. North Carolina probably has over 95% of all records of this species in North American waters, and birders travel from all over the continent to the state to look for Trindade, Fea's, Bermuda, and Black-capped petrels, among many other Gulf Stream specialties. The Trindade Petrel is seen almost exclusively over warm Gulf Stream waters off of Oregon and Hatteras inlets, essentially between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Even though the American Birding Association recommends the species' name should be pronounced "treeng-DAH-jee", this is the Portuguese pronunciation. The English pronunciation should have been given by ABA, but it wasn't. From Google, information provided there says that the English pronunciation "would be something like 'Treendahdee'". I would nearly agree -- English speaking people don't pronounce the short "i" as "ee" as they do in Latin America; and, thus we should pronounce it "trin-DAH-dee".
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