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White-faced Storm-Petrel
(Pelagodroma marina)
: "White-faced Petrel", "Frigate Petrel", "White-breasted Storm-Petrel"
Aboriginal name(s): "ngit" (WA)
Size: 18-21 cm; wing span 38-43 cm
Weight: 43-72 g
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
White-faced Storm-Petrels are small seabirds.
Their plumage
has colours ranging from white to dark-grey.
The crown, neck, back and the upperwing coverts are mid-grey,
with lighter edges, giving especially the wing coverts a
scalloped appearance. The rump is lighter-grey, while the
flight feathers and the tail are both dark-grey.
Except for conspicuous dark-grey eye-stripes, the rest of
the head is white. The head is framed by a mid-grey collar,
while the rest of the underside of the body is white. Also
the underwing coverts are white, while the underside of the
flight feathers is dark-grey, as is the undertail.
The legs are long
and protrude conspicuously beyond the tip of the tail in flight.
The bill, which is long and narrow and has a small knob, and the
legs are dark-grey, while the (often dangling) dark-grey feet have
yellow webbing.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See White-faced
Storm-Petrel at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the White-faced Storm-Petrel is available
HERE
.
White-faced Storm-Petrels populate the oceans on both the northern
and the southern hemisphere.
While most reports stem from waters around Australia and New Zealand,
White-faced Storm-Petrels are also regularly observed in the eastern
North Atlantic Ocean (on islands and off the western coast of
Iberia and North-west Africa), in the western North Atlantic (along the
East coast of the US and Canada, including New Foundland) and in
the eastern South Pacific (along the coastline of South America
and on the tropical islands to the West of central
America).
Some sightings have also been recorded in the Indian Ocean (from
the south-eastern African coastline to Oman and India) and in the
South Atlantic Ocean (islands off western Argentina and
in the central southern Atlantic).
Around Australia White-faced Storm-Petrels are found primarily
along the edge of the continental shelf outside the tropics.
Only on the Great Barrier Reef they are regularly spotted in
Australian tropical waters. To the South of the Australian
continent, White-faced Storm-Petrels populate not only the
open sea,
but they are also found on and around the southern Australian
islands, where
race "dulciae" is found breeding.
When not breeding, White-faced Storm-Petrels will mostly stay on the high seas, but they do also
enter coastal waters.
They breed on offshore
islands.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
M. Eaton reports finding White-faced Storm-Petrels 22 NM off
Southport, Gold Coast, QLD, in April 2018.
M. Roderick found White-faced Storm-Petrels 22 off Port Stephens,
NSW, in September 2020.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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Lateral view of a White-faced Storm-Petrel on the surface of the
water, with a view of its underwing pattern; note the characteristic
facial pattern and the paired feet - White-faced Storm-Petrels do not
walk on water, but they bound forward - click on image to see
Wedge-tailed Shearwaters
for comparison
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[22 NM off Southport, Gold Coast, QLD, April 2018]
Lateral view of a White-faced Storm-Petrel just after
touching down on the water's surface
(photo courtesy of M. Roderick)
[Off Port Stephens, NSW, September 2020]
Dorsal view of a White-faced Storm-Petrel on the surface of
the water (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[22 NM off Southport, Gold Coast, QLD, April 2018]
Near-frontal view of a White-faced Storm-Petrel in low flight;
note the yellow webbing
(photo courtesy of M. Roderick)
[Off Port Stephens, NSW, September 2020]
Near-lateral view of a White-faced Storm-Petrel in low flight
(photo courtesy of M. Roderick)
[Off Port Stephens, NSW, September 2020]
Lateral view of a White-faced Storm-Petrel in flight -
click on image for a wider overview showing the typical,
low flight of the bird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[22 NM off Southport, Gold Coast, QLD, April 2018]
Lateral view of a White-faced Storm-Petrel in low, hovering flight,
with a Wedge-tailed
Shearwater for comparison
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[22 NM off Southport, Gold Coast, QLD, April 2018]
Lateral view of a White-faced Storm-Petrel in low flight, with
two Wilson's
Storm-Petrels for comparison
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[22 NM off Southport, Gold Coast, QLD, April 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a White-faced Storm-Petrel in primary
moult (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[22 NM off Southport, Gold Coast, QLD, April 2018]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.