Bird guideSwinhoe's Storm-Petrel

Habits and observation This storm petrel is strictly nocturnal at the breeding sites to avoid predation by gulls and skuas, and will even avoid coming to land on clear moonlit nights.

⚠️Not listed

At a glance

FamilyNorthern Storm-Petrels
SizeSmall
RarityRare
HabitatInhabits deepwater areas but occasionally seen near shore during or after storms.
Best timePeak activity in Nov, Oct.

Sounds

Sound sample
0:000:00
Recorded by Haemin Seo

Range map

Range map

11visible hotspots
11visible records
0states
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

Medium-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.

Behavior

Tristram's and Matsudaira's are similar but noticeably larger (apparent with experience); dark-rumped Leach’s Storm-Petrel very similar but lacks white primary shafts, flies more erratically, on sharply crooked wings.

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