Bulwer's Petrel — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Bird guideBulwer's Petrel

Nests are built in burrows, vegetation, cliff caves/crevices, and under man-made debris and onshore driftwood.

Spot this species Read on Wikipedia

⚠️Not listed

At a glance

FamilyShearwaters and Petrels

SizeMedium

RarityRare

HabitatIt is marine and highly pelagic, usually found far from land except during the breeding season.

Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from October.

Sounds

Sound sample

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Recorded by Marcel Gil Velasco

Range map

Occurrence window

79visible hotspots

140visible 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

It is entirely dark brown except for diagonal buff-colored bars on the upper wings. The flight is usually low over the water, with fewer high arcs than other petrels. Commonly seen offshore from boats and sometimes from shore.

Behavior

Nests on small islets off Kauai, Oahu, and Maui, and on most of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The call, heard only at breeding colonies, is a soft bark.

Gallery

Regional timing

New South Wales

Peak: January to February5 records

Western Australia

Peak: October6 records

Queensland

Peak: January5 records

Commonly confused with

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.→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 gouldiCompare this bird carefully in the field→