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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Oceanitidae
  4. ›
  5. Garrodia
  6. ›
  7. Grey-backed Storm Petrel
Grey-backed Storm Petrel
Photo · John Gould

BirdUp · Species

Grey-backed Storm Petrel

Garrodia nereis(Gould, 1841)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
PROCELLARIIFORMES
Family
Oceanitidae
Genus
Garrodia

At a glance

The Grey-backed Storm Petrel is a small bird, about 16–19 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
16–19 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Grey-backed Storm Petrel look like?

The Grey-backed Storm Petrel is a small bird, about 16–19 cm long.

The grey-backed storm petrel is a species of seabird in the austral storm petrel family Oceanitidae. It is monotypic within the genus Garrodia. It is found in Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Chile, Falkland Islands, French Southern Territories, New Zealand, Saint Helena, South Africa, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Its natural habitat is open seas. It is highly attracted to bright lights, especially in conditions of low visibility.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
16–19 cm
Wingspan
39 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Grey-backed Storm Petrel?

The Grey-backed Storm 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

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Grey-backed Storm Petrel live in Australia?

The Grey-backed Storm Petrel is native to Australia, recorded across 5 of Australia’s bioregions, with a core range spanning subantarctic islands.

BreedingSubantarctic islands: Falkland, South Georgia and Gough (south Atlantic Ocean), Crozet and Kerguelen (south-west and south-east Indian Ocean), Macquarie (few; far south-east of Australia), Chatham, Antipodes and Auckland (east, south-east, and south of South I., New Zealand)

Non-breedingTo south Tasman Sea and Antarctic Convergence

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Vagrant
  • Non-breeding
  • Passage

5 regions recorded