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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Procellariidae
  4. ›
  5. Pterodroma
  6. ›
  7. Gould's Petrel
Gould's Petrel
Photo · Plate: John Gerrard Keulemans, 1842-1912

BirdUp · Species

Gould's Petrel

Pterodroma leucoptera(Gould, 1844)

Updated 21 March 2026

Conservation status: EndangeredOrigin: Native
Order
PROCELLARIIFORMES
Family
Procellariidae
Genus
Pterodroma

At a glance

The Gould's Petrel is a medium-sized bird, about 30 cm long, listed as Endangered and native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
30 cm
Conservation status
Endangered
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Rare
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Gould's Petrel look like?

The Gould's Petrel is a medium-sized bird, about 30 cm long and weighing 170–220 g.

Gould's petrel is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. The common name commemorates the English ornithologist and bird artist John Gould (1804–1881).

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
30 cm
Weight
170–220 g
Wingspan
70 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Gould's Petrel?

The Gould's Petrel is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Gould's Petrel eat?

The Gould's Petrel feeds on fish/invertebrates, usually foraging alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

2 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Gould's Petrel live in Australia?

The Gould's Petrel is native to Australia, recorded across 8 of Australia’s bioregions.

Breeding range
Cabbage Tree, Boondelbah, Broughton and Little Broughton, and Montague is. (just off south-east Australia) and montane Grande Terre (New Caledonia)
Non-breeding range
Tasman Sea and tropical/subtropical Pacific Ocean to Hawaiian and Galápagos Islands.