Grey Petrel

Procellaria cinerea Gmelin, JF, 1789

1.1 kgWeight

The grey petrel (Procellaria cinerea), also called the gray petrel, brown petrel, pediunker or grey shearwater, is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae, or petrel family.

Busiest months: June and August · Most records: Australia, French Southern Territories, New Zealand

Near Threatened

Where and when it's recorded

Grey Petrel has been recorded at 23 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Eaglehawk Neck Pelagic TripAustralia332 records
Kaikoura – offshore – Albatross Encounter pelagicNew Zealand24 records
Nearshore waters (0-2mi/3km) - Gaggins Point to Rockhopper PointSt. Helena20 records

More places

Cap RatmanoffFrench Southern Territories15 records
Ile HauteFrench Southern Territories14 records
Ile MayèsFrench Southern Territories12 records
Port-aux-FrançaisFrench Southern Territories11 records
Poor Knights Shelf AreaNew Zealand10 records
Gough Island general pelagic - CircumnavigationSt. Helena8 records
Stewart Island – east coast pelagic watersNew Zealand4 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia French Southern Territories New Zealand St. Helena Falkland Islands Argentina South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands 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 grey petrel (Procellaria cinerea), also called the gray petrel, brown petrel, pediunker or grey shearwater, is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae, or petrel family. It is pelagic and occurs in the open seas of the Southern Hemisphere, mainly between 32°S and 58°S.

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

Questions

How big is the Grey Petrel?

The Grey Petrel weighs around 1.1 kg.

Where does the Grey Petrel live?

Its breeding range: Southern Ocean: islets of southern temperate and subantarctic oceans from Inaccessible and Gough (central South Atlantic Ocean) to Macquarie (far southeast of Australia), Antipodes (southeast of Stewart Island) and Campbell islands (south of South Island; New Zealand). It is most often recorded in Australia, French Southern Territories and New Zealand.

When is the best time to see the Grey Petrel?

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

Is the Grey Petrel endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Grey Petrel as Near Threatened.

What does the Grey Petrel eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Grey Petrel in?

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

At a glance

Weight: 1.1 kg
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Varied
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Near Threatened

More measurements

Wing: 326 mm
Tail: 100 mm
Bill: 50 mm
Tarsus: 57 mm

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

Range

Southern Ocean: islets of southern temperate and subantarctic oceans from Inaccessible and Gough (central South Atlantic Ocean) to Macquarie (far southeast of Australia), Antipodes (southeast of Stewart Island) and Campbell islands (south of South Island; New Zealand)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2