Bird guideCook's Petrel

On Great Barrier Island, introduced pigs, dogs, rats and cats attack nests and burrows, as do native weka (a flightless rail), preying on eggs and nestlings and reducing the population from an estimated 20,000 to 100 .

⚠️Not listed

At a glance

FamilyShearwaters and Petrels
SizeMedium
RarityUncommon
HabitatPelagic; mostly offshore and over open ocean, occasionally seen from coastal headlands during passage.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from October to November.

Sounds

Sound sample
0:000:00
Recorded by Nathan El

Range map

Range map

84visible hotspots
398visible 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

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.

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