Great-winged Petrel

Pterodroma macroptera (Smith, A, 1840)

42–45 cmLength532 gWeight

The great-winged petrel (Pterodroma macroptera) is a petrel living and breeding in the world's Southern Ocean.

Busiest months: May–June · Most records: Australia, French Southern Territories, St. Helena

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Great-winged Petrel has been recorded at 11 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Eaglehawk Neck Pelagic TripAustralia1,123 records
Cap RatmanoffFrench Southern Territories13 records
Nightingale IslandSt. Helena13 records

More places

Nearshore waters (0-2mi/3km) - AnchorageSt. Helena12 records
Port-aux-FrançaisFrench Southern Territories11 records
Ile MayèsFrench Southern Territories10 records
Ile HauteFrench Southern Territories9 records
Gough Island general pelagic - CircumnavigationSt. Helena8 records
Nearshore waters (0-2mi/3km) - Gaggins Point to Rockhopper PointSt. Helena3 records
Table Mt. NP – Cape of Good HopeSouth Africa3 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia French Southern Territories St. Helena South Africa Heard & McDonald Islands

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

About

The great-winged petrel (Pterodroma macroptera) is a petrel living and breeding in the world's Southern Ocean.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Great-winged Petrel?

The Great-winged Petrel is about 42–45 cm long and weighs around 532 g.

Where does the Great-winged Petrel live?

Its breeding range: Southern Ocean: subtropical to temperate islands from Tristan da Cunha and Gough (south-central Atlantic Ocean) to Kerguelen Islands (southeastern Indian Ocean) and islets off southwestern Australia. It is most often recorded in Australia, French Southern Territories and St. Helena.

When is the best time to see the Great-winged Petrel?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May and June (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Great-winged Petrel endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Great-winged Petrel as Least Concern.

What does the Great-winged Petrel eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Great-winged Petrel in?

It belongs to the family Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels (Procellariidae), order Procellariiformes.

At a glance

Length: 42–45 cm
Weight: 532 g
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Varied
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 303 mm
Tail: 113 mm
Bill: 37 mm
Tarsus: 41 mm

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

Range

Southern Ocean: subtropical to temperate islands from Tristan da Cunha and Gough (south-central Atlantic Ocean) to Kerguelen Islands (southeastern Indian Ocean) and islets off southwestern Australia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2