Leach's Storm Petrel

Hydrobates leucorhous (Vieillot, 1818)

≈20 cmLength46 cmWingspan37 gWeight

A small storm petrel with a usually white rump and a forked tail, it flutters its wings in flight.

Busiest months: August–October · Most records: Canada, United States, United Kingdom

Looks like Wilson's Storm Petrel

Vulnerable

How to identify

Field marks

Blackish overall, face slightly paler
A single paler gray-brown band across secondary coverts on upperwing
Rump usually white, with a dark line down the center
Forked tail

Similar species

Wilson's Storm Petrel

Leach's Storm Petrel is larger, with a forked tail; its rump pattern and flight style also differ from those of Wilson's Storm Petrel.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: August–October · Most records: Canada, United States, United Kingdom

Leach's Storm Petrel has been recorded at 182 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 31 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

To protect this bird from disturbance, we don't list exact sites.

Countries and regions with the most records

Canada United States United Kingdom Ireland Portugal Spain Iceland France

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

Leach's storm petrel or Leach's petrel (Hydrobates leucorhous) is a small seabird of the tubenose order. It is named after the British zoologist William Elford Leach. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek.

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

Questions

How big is the Leach's Storm Petrel?

The Leach's Storm Petrel is about ≈20 cm long, with a wingspan of 46 cm and weighs around 37 g.

Where does the Leach's Storm Petrel live?

Its breeding range: Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean: northeastern Atlantic from southern Iceland, Faroe Islands, central Norway, Ireland and Scotland; northwestern Atlantic from southern Labrador to Massachusetts; northwestern Pacific from northeastern Russia and northeastern Japan to Alaska and northern, central Baja California (northwestern Mexico); also off southwestern Africa. It is most often recorded in Canada, United States and United Kingdom.

When is the best time to see the Leach's Storm Petrel?

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

Is the Leach's Storm Petrel endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Leach's Storm Petrel as Vulnerable.

What does the Leach's Storm Petrel eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Leach's Storm Petrel in?

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

At a glance

Length: ≈20 cm
Wingspan: 46 cm
Weight: 37 g
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Feeds in the air
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Vulnerable

More measurements

Wing: 150 mm
Tail: 75 mm
Bill: 18 mm
Tarsus: 23 mm

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

Range

Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean: northeastern Atlantic from southern Iceland, Faroe Islands, central Norway, Ireland and Scotland; northwestern Atlantic from southern Labrador to Massachusetts; northwestern Pacific from northeastern Russia and northeastern Japan to Alaska and northern, central Baja California (northwestern Mexico); also off southwestern Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2