It formerly bred on Raoul Island , but has now been extirpated from this locality due to predation by rats and cats.
Not listed
Indigenous: White-Naped Petrel, Black-Capped Petrel, Sunday Island Petrel
At a glance
FamilyShearwaters and Petrels
SizeMedium
RarityUncommon
HabitatDuring the non-breeding season it occurs throughout a large part of the Pacific , but it is only known to breed on Macauley Island in New Zealand's Kermadec Islands and the Australian territory of Norfolk Island and Phillip Island .
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from January to February.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Luke Halpin
Range map
Range map
108approx hotspots
722approx records
2states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
The underwings are mostly white. Similar to Juan Fernandez Petrel, but the black cap is separated from the gray back by a broad white collar. Migrates through Hawaiian waters. mostly from the late summer through spring. Rare in Hawaii, but observed more often in the western end of the Archipelago.
Behavior
The dark “M” pattern on the wings contrasts with the gray back.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Queensland
Northern Territory
Victoria
Commonly confused with
Kermadec PetrelPterodroma neglectaIndeed, sometimes Kermadec Petrels chase and pirate other petrels, as do jaegers and skuas. Herald Petrel is very similar, but is smaller and slimmer with a longer and more tapered tail, and lacks white shafts on upperwings.→Gray-faced PetrelPterodroma gouldiNote the gray face, chin, and throat and the stout bill. Wings long and narrow. Other dark gadfly petrels are rare off the New Zealand mainland but the similar Providence and dark-morph Kermadec Petrels have white patches on the underwing; the latter also lacks any gray on its face. The rarely-seen Kerguelen Petrel is smaller, with a shorter bill and a pale edge on the underwing.→Tahiti PetrelPseudobulweria rostrataLook for the combination of very long narrow wings and a heavy bill. Flight style is typically rather relaxed with slow powerful wingbeats. Breeds on islands in the South Pacific.→