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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Procellariidae
  4. ›
  5. Pterodroma
  6. ›
  7. Providence Petrel
Providence Petrel
Photo · (c) ian_mcallan, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Providence Petrel

Pterodroma solandri(Gould, 1844)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
PROCELLARIIFORMES
Family
Procellariidae
Genus
Pterodroma

At a glance

The Providence Petrel is a large bird, about 40 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
40 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Providence Petrel look like?

The Providence Petrel is a large bird, about 40 cm long and weighing 414–600 g.

The providence petrel is a large and heavy build gadfly petrel that nests in two locations in the Tasman Sea: Lord Howe Island and Philip Island.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
40 cm
Weight
414–600 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Providence Petrel?

The Providence 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 Providence Petrel eat?

The Providence Petrel feeds on fish/invertebrates, usually foraging in flocks or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Providence Petrel live in Australia?

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

BreedingLord Howe I. and (few) Phillip I. (Norfolk group; east of Australia)

Non-breedingTo east Australia and north-west Pacific off Kamchatka and Japan and to Bering Sea

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Breeding
  • Non-breeding
  • Vagrant

5 regions recorded