Not listed
At a glance
FamilyShearwaters and Petrels
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatRelatively sedentary and usually only seen around breeding colonies year-round.
Best timeMost reliable in Tasmania from December.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Cam Maclean/David Boyle
Range map
Range map
5approx hotspots
1212approx records
0states
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
Breeds on the Chatham Islands, New Zealand Subantarctic Islands, and Heard Island. Relatively sedentary and usually only seen around breeding colonies year-round. Very similar to the more abundant Fairy Prion and generally only distinguishable when in the hand. Fulmar Prion has a heavier bill with a larger hook and slightly darker tip to the underside of the tail.
Behavior
Fulmar Prion has poorly defined facial markings and a broad, dark tip to the upper tail.
Gallery
Regional timing
Tasmania
Commonly confused with
White-headed PetrelPterodroma lessoniiBack is pale gray with darker outer wings, creating an “M” shape on the back. Look for stout black bill and pinkish-colored feet. Breed on Antipodes and Auckland Islands in the New Zealand region and also on subantarctic Indian Ocean and Macquarie Islands. Three similar species: Soft-plumaged Petrel is smaller with gray-brown head and band on upper breast; Gray Petrel is larger with a smaller, darker head, a pale green bill, and a long neck; and pale morph Kermadec Petrel is smaller, lacks an eye patch, has darker upperparts, and shows white patches under the wing.→Soft-plumaged PetrelPterodroma mollisNote the heavy dark bill. In flight, exhibits gray underwings and gray and dark brown M-pattern on the back. The rare dark morph has dark underparts, but still retains the distinctive complete breast band, which is the most useful mark separating this species from Fea’s and Zino’s Petrels.→Common Diving-PetrelPelecanoides urinatrixFlight is low and fast over the sea with rapid “whirring” wingbeats; does not glide. Plumage blackish above, whitish below with no bold head pattern.→