Pterodroma leucoptera
Gould's Petrel (*Pterodroma leucoptera*) is a small, enigmatic seabird belonging to the gadfly petrel genus, a group renowned for their acrobatic flight and pelagic lifestyle. Measuring approximately 29-31 cm in length with a wingspan of 70-75 cm and weighing around 140-200g, this species exhibits a distinctive plumage: dark sooty-grey upperparts with a prominent black 'M' or 'W' pattern across the upperwings, contrasting sharply with clean white underparts. Key field marks include a dark cap...
Exclusively pelagic over deep ocean waters outside the breeding season, coming to land only to nest in burrows or natural rock crevices on offshore islands.
Mainly feeds on small cephalopods (squid), crustaceans (such as krill and euphausiids), and small fish, typically caught by surface-seizing or shallow pursuit-plunging.
Gould's Petrels are highly diurnal at sea, often observed with a characteristic fast, erratic, and arcing flight pattern. During the breeding season, they become strictly nocturnal at their island colonies, arriving and departing under the cover of darkness to avoid aerial predators. Foraging inv...
Gould's Petrel has a restricted breeding range, primarily centered on a few offshore islands in the western South Pacific. The most significant breeding populations are found on Cabbage Tree Island off Port Stephens, New South Wales, Australia, and on Lord Howe Island. Smaller colonies are also p...
Vulnerable
- Gould's Petrel is one of the smallest species within the diverse 'gadfly petrel' genus, *Pterodroma*. - Its distinctive black 'M' or 'W' pattern across the upperwings is a crucial identifier for birders at sea. - The species breeds almost exclusively on a few small, remote islands off eastern A...