Fork-tailed Storm Petrel (Hydrobates furcatus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Fork-tailed Storm Petrel

Hydrobates furcatus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

60 gWeight

Busiest months: July and September · Most records: United States, Canada, Japan

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Fork-tailed Storm Petrel has been recorded at 24 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. St. Paul IslandUnited States614 records
  2. Pt. Pinos – seawatch onlyUnited States278 records
  3. GambellUnited States123 records
More places
  1. Southeast Farallon IslandUnited States56 records
  2. Neah Bay – town and bay onlyUnited States27 records
  3. Rocky Point Bird ObservatoryCanada12 records
  4. Pt. PinosUnited States12 records
  5. Point No PointUnited States12 records
  6. Rodeo LagoonUnited States10 records
  7. Mark Hatfield Marine Science Center and Estuary TrailUnited States7 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesCanadaJapanRussia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Fork-tailed Storm Petrel?

The Fork-tailed Storm Petrel weighs around 60 g.

Where does the Fork-tailed Storm Petrel live?

Its breeding range: Pacific Ocean: islands off northern Kuril and Commander Islands (southeastern Russia), Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska to northern California. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Japan.

When is the best time to see the Fork-tailed Storm Petrel?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July and September (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Fork-tailed Storm Petrel endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Fork-tailed Storm Petrel as Least Concern.

What does the Fork-tailed Storm Petrel eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Fork-tailed Storm Petrel in?

It belongs to the family Northern Storm Petrels (Hydrobatidae), order Procellariiformes.

At a glance

Weight
60 g
Habitat
Ocean
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
156 mm
Tail
90 mm
Bill
17 mm
Tarsus
25 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Pacific Ocean: islands off northern Kuril and Commander Islands (southeastern Russia), Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska to northern California

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Northern Storm Petrels Hydrobatidae
Genus
Hydrobates

Other birds in the genus Hydrobates

European Storm PetrelEuropean Storm PetrelHydrobates pelagicusRinged Storm PetrelRinged Storm PetrelHydrobates hornbyiSwinhoe's Storm PetrelSwinhoe's Storm PetrelHydrobates monorhisMatsudaira's Storm PetrelMatsudaira's Storm PetrelHydrobates matsudairaeLeach's Storm PetrelLeach's Storm PetrelHydrobates leucorhousTownsend's Storm PetrelTownsend's Storm PetrelHydrobates socorroensisAinley's Storm PetrelAinley's Storm PetrelHydrobates cheimomnestesAshy Storm PetrelAshy Storm PetrelHydrobates homochroaBand-rumped Storm PetrelBand-rumped Storm PetrelHydrobates castroMonteiro's Storm PetrelMonteiro's Storm PetrelHydrobates monteiroiCape Verde Storm PetrelCape Verde Storm PetrelHydrobates jabejabeWedge-rumped Storm PetrelWedge-rumped Storm PetrelHydrobates tethys
Fork-tailed Storm Petrel

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Ken Chamberlain. ↗

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