Vanuatu Petrel (Pterodroma occulta)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Vanuatu Petrel

Pterodroma occulta Imber & Tennyson, 2001

40 cmLength445 gWeight

The Vanuatu petrel or Falla's petrel (Pterodroma occulta) is a species of gadfly petrel.

Most records: Vanuatu

Where and when it's recorded

Most records: Vanuatu

Vanuatu Petrel has been recorded at 1 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. LoruVanuatu1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

Vanuatu

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 Vanuatu petrel or Falla's petrel (Pterodroma occulta) is a species of gadfly petrel. This little-known seabird was first scientifically described in 2001 based on six specimens taken in 1927 off Merelava, Vanuatu, and a single bird found ashore in 1983 in New South Wales, Australia. The first confirmed breeding locality was only discovered in 2009 on the island of Vanua Lava, Vanuatu, but based on reports by locals it is supposed to also breed on Merelava.

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

Questions

How big is the Vanuatu Petrel?

The Vanuatu Petrel is about 40 cm long and weighs around 445 g.

Where does the Vanuatu Petrel live?

Its breeding range: Pacific Ocean: Vanua Lava (Banks Islands, northern Vanuatu). It is most often recorded in Vanuatu.

What does the Vanuatu Petrel eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Vanuatu Petrel in?

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

At a glance

Length
40 cm
Weight
445 g
Habitat
Ocean
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Partial migrant
More measurements
Wing
286 mm
Tail
137 mm
Bill
36 mm
Tarsus
37 mm

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

Range

Pacific Ocean: Vanua Lava (Banks Islands, northern Vanuatu)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Genus
Pterodroma

Other birds in the genus Pterodroma

Great-winged PetrelGreat-winged PetrelPterodroma macropteraWhite-headed PetrelWhite-headed PetrelPterodroma lessoniiGrey-faced PetrelGrey-faced PetrelPterodroma gouldiAtlantic PetrelAtlantic PetrelPterodroma incertaProvidence PetrelProvidence PetrelPterodroma solandriMagenta PetrelMagenta PetrelPterodroma magentaeMurphy's PetrelMurphy's PetrelPterodroma ultimaSoft-plumaged PetrelSoft-plumaged PetrelPterodroma mollisZino's PetrelZino's PetrelPterodroma madeiraFea's PetrelFea's PetrelPterodroma feaeDesertas PetrelDesertas PetrelPterodroma desertaBermuda PetrelBermuda PetrelPterodroma cahow
Vanuatu Petrel

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

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