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Attractive petrel with a black mask, largely gray above and white below, with a diagnostic dark breast band.
Vulnerable
Indigenous: Soft-Plumaged Fulmar
At a glance
FamilyShearwaters and Petrels
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatCoastlines, harbours, offshore waters, estuaries, headlands, beaches, and large inland water when conditions suit.
Best timeMost reliable in Tasmania from November to December.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by David Boyle
Range map
Range map
195visible hotspots
1295visible records
2states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
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
Note 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.
Behavior
Usually encountered well offshore, in towering roller-coaster flights; sometimes follows boats.
Gallery