Westland Petrel (Procellaria westlandica)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Westland Petrel

Procellaria westlandica Falla, 1946

1.2 kgWeight

The Westland petrel (Procellaria westlandica), (Māori: tāiko), also known as the Westland black petrel, is a moderately large seabird in the petrel family Procellariidae, that is endemic to New Zealand.

Busiest months: November · Most records: New Zealand, Chile, Australia

Endangered

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: New Zealand, Chile, Australia

Westland Petrel has been recorded at 23 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Kaikoura – offshore – Albatross Encounter pelagicNew Zealand5,460 records
  2. Quintero – PelágicoChile820 records
  3. Valparaíso – PelágicoChile612 records
More places
  1. Cook Strait FerryNew Zealand453 records
  2. Eaglehawk Neck Pelagic TripAustralia330 records
  3. Stewart Island – east coast pelagic watersNew Zealand59 records
  4. Kaikoura – Point Kean Seal ColonyNew Zealand54 records
  5. Foveaux StraitNew Zealand25 records
  6. Queen Charlotte SoundNew Zealand17 records
  7. Kaikoura Peninsula WalkwayNew Zealand16 records

Countries and regions with the most records

New ZealandChileAustraliaArgentina

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 Westland petrel (Procellaria westlandica), (Māori: tāiko), also known as the Westland black petrel, is a moderately large seabird in the petrel family Procellariidae, that is endemic to New Zealand. Described by Robert Falla in 1946, it is a stocky bird weighing approximately 1,100 grams (39 oz), and is one of the largest of the burrowing petrels. It is a dark blackish-brown colour with black legs and feet.

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

Questions

How big is the Westland Petrel?

The Westland Petrel weighs around 1.2 kg.

Where does the Westland Petrel live?

Its breeding range: Pacific Ocean: coastal foothills of Paparoa Range, northwestern South Island (New Zealand). It is most often recorded in New Zealand, Chile and Australia.

When is the best time to see the Westland Petrel?

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

Is the Westland Petrel endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Westland Petrel as Endangered.

What does the Westland Petrel eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Westland Petrel in?

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

At a glance

Weight
1.2 kg
Habitat
Ocean
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
On the water surface
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Endangered
More measurements
Wing
369 mm
Tail
131 mm
Bill
52 mm
Tarsus
56 mm

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

Range

Pacific Ocean: coastal foothills of Paparoa Range, northwestern South Island (New Zealand)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Genus
Procellaria

Other birds in the genus Procellaria

Grey PetrelGrey PetrelProcellaria cinereaWhite-chinned PetrelWhite-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialisSpectacled PetrelSpectacled PetrelProcellaria conspicillataBlack PetrelBlack PetrelProcellaria parkinsoniSouthern Giant PetrelSouthern Giant PetrelMacronectes giganteusNorthern Giant PetrelNorthern Giant PetrelMacronectes halliNorthern FulmarNorthern FulmarFulmarus glacialisSouthern FulmarSouthern FulmarFulmarus glacialoidesAntarctic PetrelAntarctic PetrelThalassoica antarcticaPintado PetrelPintado PetrelDaption capense
Westland Petrel

Download illustration

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

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