Bird guideSoft-plumaged Petrel

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
HabitatUsually encountered well offshore, in towering roller-coaster flights; sometimes follows boats.
Best timeMost reliable in Tasmania from November to December.

Sounds

Sound sample
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Recorded by David Boyle

Range map

Range map

195visible hotspots
1295visible records
2states
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

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.

Regional timing

Victoria
Peak: May105 records
Tasmania
Peak: November to December344 records
Western Australia
Peak: June to July318 records
New South Wales
Peak: June135 records
South Australia
Peak: May2 records
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