Matsudaira's Storm-Petrel — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Bird guideMatsudaira's Storm-Petrel

It breeds solely in the Volcano Islands in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and winters in the Indian Ocean.

Spot this species Read on Wikipedia

⚠️Not listed

🍃Indigenous: Sooty Storm-Petrel

At a glance

FamilyNorthern Storm-Petrels

SizeSmall

RarityRare

HabitatPelagic; mostly offshore and over open ocean, occasionally seen from coastal headlands during passage.

Best timeMost reliable in Northern Territory from January.

Range map

Occurrence window

41visible hotspots

65visible 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

Powerful, slow flight style contrasts with swifter flight of smaller species. Somewhat resembles the larger Bulwer’s Petrel, but Matsudaira’s tail is forked, not wedge-shaped. Bright white shafts of the primary feathers give it an almost skua-like appearance, even from a distance. Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrel similar but smaller, with more graceful flight style. Tristram’s Storm-Petrel also similar but lacks the primary shafts and usually has a more contrasting carpal bar.

Behavior

Breeds on southern Japanese islands and winters in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Gallery

Regional timing

Western Australia

Peak: August1 records

Northern Territory

Peak: January1 records

Commonly confused with

Swinhoe's Storm-PetrelHydrobates monorhisMedium-sized storm-petrel found primarily in the Pacific. Dark brown overall, with buffy carpal bars in upperwing and noticeable white primary shafts at close range. Flight is often relaxed, on wings often held out farther from the body than in Leach’s.→