Wilson's Storm-Petrel — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Bird guideWilson's Storm-Petrel

Small and fluttery.

Spot this species Read on Wikipedia

⚠️TAS: Near Threatened

🍃Indigenous: Flat-Clawed Storm-Petrel, Wilson Storm-Petrel, Yellow-Webbed Storm-Petrel, Mother Carey's Chicken

At a glance

FamilySouthern Storm-Petrels

SizeSmall

RarityCommon

HabitatRanges across all oceans when not breeding, mainly from May to October, typically staying offshore but sometimes seen from land.

Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from October to November.

Sounds

Sound sample

0:000:00

Recorded by Fabrice Schmitt

Range map

Occurrence window

770visible hotspots

7546visible records

6states

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

Dark 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.