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A small, fast-flying petrel with long narrow wings and bright white underparts.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyShearwaters and Petrels
SizeMedium
RarityUncommon
HabitatCoastlines, harbours, offshore waters, estuaries, headlands, beaches, and large inland water when conditions suit.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from October to November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Nathan El
Range map
Range map
84visible hotspots
398visible 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
Flight varies from low and weaving, into the wind, to high and arcing across the wind. Note gray cap and upperparts with dark M pattern across upperwings and dark tail tip. Underparts are white with very narrow black margins to wings. Many birds off Mexican coast are in wing molt.
Behavior
Found singly or in loose aggregations, well offshore in warmer Pacific waters, mainly from March to August.
Gallery