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Striking small seabird of cold subantarctic waters; some birds range farther north in winter (mainly May–August).
Not listed
Indigenous: Gould Storm-Petrel, Mother Carey's Chicken
At a glance
FamilySouthern Storm-Petrels
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatCoastlines, harbours, offshore waters, estuaries, headlands, beaches, and large inland water when conditions suit.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from October.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Kevin Guille
Range map
Range map
165visible hotspots
1167visible records
1states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
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
Despite the name, its bold white belly is the most obvious feature that separates Black-bellied from slightly smaller Wilson’s Storm-Petrel. Most birds have a black stripe bisecting the white belly patch, but the stripe is often hard to see. Compare with the very similar White-bellied Storm-Petrel of subtropical waters, which occurs mainly to the north of Black-bellied’s range.
Behavior
Flight style often eye-catching; splashes belly down in the water and kicks its feet to change direction.
Gallery