White-faced Storm Petrel

Pelagodroma marina (Latham, 1790)

47 gWeight

The white-faced storm petrel (Pelagodroma marina), (Māori: takahikare) also known as white-faced petrel or frigate petrel, is a small seabird of the austral storm petrel family Oceanitidae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: New Zealand, Australia, Cape Verde

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: New Zealand, Australia, Cape Verde

White-faced Storm Petrel has been recorded at 29 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Eaglehawk Neck Pelagic TripAustralia894 records
Poor Knights Shelf AreaNew Zealand505 records
Hauraki Gulf PelagicNew Zealand280 records

More places

Tutukaka To Poor KnightsNew Zealand261 records
Kaikoura – offshore – Albatross Encounter pelagicNew Zealand86 records
Stewart Island – east coast pelagic watersNew Zealand62 records
Foveaux StraitNew Zealand24 records
Gulf Harbour to Tiritiri Matangi ferryNew Zealand23 records
Tiritiri MatangiNew Zealand21 records
Cook Strait FerryNew Zealand20 records

Countries and regions with the most records

New Zealand Australia Cape Verde Pitcairn Islands Kiribati United States Portugal

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 white-faced storm petrel (Pelagodroma marina), (Māori: takahikare) also known as white-faced petrel or frigate petrel, is a small seabird of the austral storm petrel family Oceanitidae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Pelagodroma. It is widely distributed across the northern and southern hemisphere, especially around the coastal and open ocean waters of southern Australia, New Zealand, Tristan da Cunha, Cabo Verde, the Canary islands and the Selvagens islands.

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

Questions

How big is the White-faced Storm Petrel?

The White-faced Storm Petrel weighs around 47 g.

Where does the White-faced Storm Petrel live?

Its breeding range: Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean: Salvage (northwest of Canary Islands), Canary and Cape Verde islands (Macaronesia, off northwestern Africa), Tristan da Cunha group including Gough (south-central Atlantic Ocean), southern Australian islets and New Zealand region. It is most often recorded in New Zealand, Australia and Cape Verde.

When is the best time to see the White-faced Storm Petrel?

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

Is the White-faced Storm Petrel endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the White-faced Storm Petrel as Least Concern.

What does the White-faced Storm Petrel eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the White-faced Storm Petrel in?

It belongs to the family Austral Storm Petrels (Oceanitidae), order Procellariiformes.

At a glance

Weight: 47 g
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Feeds in the air
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 158 mm
Tail: 73 mm
Bill: 21 mm
Tarsus: 41 mm

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

Range

Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean: Salvage (northwest of Canary Islands), Canary and Cape Verde islands (Macaronesia, off northwestern Africa), Tristan da Cunha group including Gough (south-central Atlantic Ocean), southern Australian islets and New Zealand region

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2