Bird guideNorthern Giant-Petrel

Procellariform birds have between seven and nine distinct horny plates for their bill, and in petrels one of these plates forms the hooked portion of their upper bill called the maxillary unguis.

⚠️Vulnerable

At a glance

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

Sounds

Sound sample
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Recorded by David Boyle

Range map

Range map

398visible hotspots
3789visible records
5states
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

Juveniles are sooty brown which fades to gray brown as they age. Widespread around Southern Oceans. Habits much like Southern Giant and the two readily associate together often following ships.

Behavior

Plumage varies; most birds dark overall or with whitish face, but some have very whitish head and underparts; does not have a white morph, unlike Southern Giant.

Regional timing

Western Australia
Peak: May to June13 records
Victoria
Peak: June1,374 records
South Australia
Peak: May to June72 records
New South Wales
Peak: June to July1,040 records
Queensland
Peak: June to July87 records
Tasmania
Peak: December1,783 records
Australian Capital Territory
Peak: March3 records
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