BetterBirding
Bird guideBlack-bellied Storm-Petrel

Striking small seabird of cold subantarctic waters; some birds range farther north in winter (mainly May–August).

Spot this speciesRead on Wikipedia
⚠️Not listed
🍃Indigenous: Gould Storm-Petrel, Mother Carey's Chicken

At a glance

FamilySouthern Storm-Petrels
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatPelagic; mostly offshore and over open ocean, occasionally seen from coastal headlands during passage.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from October.

Sounds

Sound sample
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Recorded by Kevin Guille

Range map

Range map

165visible hotspots
1169visible records
1states
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

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

Regional timing

Tasmania
Peak: December45 records
Victoria
Peak: April6 records
New South Wales
Peak: October46 records
Western Australia
Peak: May17 records
Queensland
Peak: May19 records

Commonly confused with

Wilson's Storm-PetrelOceanites oceanicusDark blackish-brown overall with even-width white rump patch and conspicuous pale wing panels. Long legs extend past the tail in flight; difficult to spot unless close. Eats plankton from the surface of the water. Vexed taxonomy might include several cryptic species. Breeds in Antarctica and islands in the southern oceans. Ranges across all oceans when not breeding, mainly from May to October, typically staying offshore but sometimes seen from land. Most common in North Atlantic.→White-faced Storm-PetrelPelagodroma marinaPlumage also unique; look for mostly white face with dark mask. Also note extremely long legs projecting far beyond tail and rather long, slender bill.→White-bellied Storm-PetrelFregetta grallariaNote distinctive sooty black upperparts and white belly and rump. Breeds across the South Pacific, South Atlantic, and South Indian Oceans, migrating north into tropics after breeding. Distinguished from other storm-petrels by shorter legs that extend to the end of or just beyond the tail in flight, as well as by lacking the smudgy black stripe that cuts down the belly of the Black-bellied Storm-Petrel.→
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