Often flaps its wings at the top of glides.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyShearwaters and Petrels
SizeMedium
RarityRare
HabitatIt is restricted to just two breeding islands and has declined historically due to exploitation for food.
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from February.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Chris Taylor
Range map
Range map
5visible hotspots
6visible records
0states
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
Highly pelagic away from breeding grounds on remote Gough Island.
Behavior
Note the mostly dark wings, with a slightly paler ‘hand’ on the underwing.
Gallery
Regional timing
Victoria
Western Australia
Commonly confused with
Little ShearwaterPuffinus assimilisCompare this bird carefully in the field→Great-winged PetrelPterodroma macropteraCompare this bird carefully in the field→Fairy PrionPachyptila turturIt is very similar to other prion species, with a dark “M'' stretching across the back from wingtip to wingtip and a black tip to the upper tail. Fairy prions can be carefully distinguished by their smaller size, poorly defined facial markings, and broad, dark tip to the upper tail. The Fulmar Prion, the most similar species, is separated by a shorter bill that is more massive, especially at the tip.→