BetterBirding
Bird guideWhite-bellied Storm-Petrel

Sources describe the white-bellied storm petrel as both nonmigratory and fully migrant reflecting perhaps how little is known or understood of this elusive sea bird.

Spot this speciesRead on Wikipedia
⚠️VIC: Vulnerable
🍃Indigenous: Broad-Nailed Storm-Petrel, Vieillot Storm-Petrel

At a glance

FamilySouthern Storm-Petrels
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatPelagic; mostly offshore and over open ocean, occasionally seen from coastal headlands during passage.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from March.

Range map

Range map

68visible hotspots
247visible 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

Note distinctive sooty black upperparts and white belly and rump. Breeds across the South Pacific, South Atlantic, and South Indian Oceans, migrating north into tropics after breeding. Distinguished from other storm-petrels by shorter legs that extend to the end of or just beyond the tail in flight, as well as by lacking the smudgy black stripe that cuts down the belly of the Black-bellied Storm-Petrel.

Behavior

Can be seen pattering its feet on the surface of the water when feeding for small squid and crustaceans on the surface.

Gallery

Regional timing

New South Wales
Peak: March322 records
Northern Territory
Peak: January2 records
Tasmania
Peak: January1 records
Queensland
Peak: January2 records
South Australia
Peak: November1 records

Commonly confused with

Black-bellied Storm-PetrelFregetta tropicaDespite the name, its bold white belly is the most obvious feature that separates Black-bellied from slightly smaller Wilson’s Storm-Petrel. Most birds have a black stripe bisecting the white belly patch, but the stripe is often hard to see. Compare with the very similar White-bellied Storm-Petrel of subtropical waters, which occurs mainly to the north of Black-bellied’s range.→Wilson's Storm-PetrelOceanites oceanicusDark blackish-brown overall with even-width white rump patch and conspicuous pale wing panels. Long legs extend past the tail in flight; difficult to spot unless close. Eats plankton from the surface of the water. Vexed taxonomy might include several cryptic species. Breeds in Antarctica and islands in the southern oceans. Ranges across all oceans when not breeding, mainly from May to October, typically staying offshore but sometimes seen from land. Most common in North Atlantic.→White-faced Storm-PetrelPelagodroma marinaPlumage also unique; look for mostly white face with dark mask. Also note extremely long legs projecting far beyond tail and rather long, slender bill.→
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