Pelecanoididae (diving petrels; class Aves, order Procellariiformes) A family of stocky, short-necked, short-winged petrels which have short bills and nostrils open at the top. They have a whirring flight, can dive into the sea, and can swim well under water to catch crustaceans. They breed in burrows on sub-Antarctic islands, and are less pelagic than most petrels. There is one genus, Pelecanoides, with four species, found in the southern oceans.

diving petrels See PELECANOIDIDAE.