Bird guideGray Petrel

Silvery gray-brown above, with a white belly and pale throat.

⚠️TAS: Endangered
🍃Indigenous: Pediunker, Black-Tailed Shearwater, Great Gray Petrel, Brown Petrel, Bully, Night Hawk, Kuia

At a glance

FamilyShearwaters and Petrels
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatPelagic; mostly offshore and over open ocean, occasionally seen from coastal headlands during passage.
Best timeMost reliable in Tasmania from March to April.

Sounds

Sound sample
0:000:00
Recorded by David Boyle

Range map

Range map

10visible hotspots
29visible 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

Underwing is dark and unmarked. Bill is pale yellowish with dark contours. Simple bicolored coloration separates this species from other petrels, and chunky proportions and stubby-billed profile distinguish it from similar-looking shearwaters.

Behavior

Breeds on islands in the southern Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, favoring steep slopes with ample ground cover.

Regional timing

Tasmania
Peak: March to April130 records
Western Australia
Peak: October3 records
South Australia
Peak: May1 records
New South Wales
Peak: January3 records
Victoria
Peak: February1 records

Commonly confused with

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