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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Oceanitidae
  4. ›
  5. Pelagodroma
  6. ›
  7. White-faced Storm Petrel
White-faced Storm Petrel
Photo · iNaturalist user: paloma

BirdUp · Species

White-faced Storm Petrel

Pelagodroma marina(Latham, 1790)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
PROCELLARIIFORMES
Family
Oceanitidae
Genus
Pelagodroma

At a glance

The White-faced Storm Petrel is a small bird, about 18–21 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
18–21 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 White-faced Storm Petrel look like?

The White-faced Storm Petrel is a small bird, about 18–21 cm long and weighing 30–72 g.

The white-faced storm petrel, also known as white-faced petrel or frigate petrel, is a small seabird of the austral storm petrel family Oceanitidae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Pelagodroma. It is widely distributed across the northern and southern hemisphere, especially around the coastal and open ocean waters of southern Australia, New Zealand, Tristan da Cunha, Cabo Verde, the Canary islands and the Selvagens islands.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
18–21 cm
Weight
30–72 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a White-faced Storm Petrel?

The White-faced 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

What does a White-faced Storm Petrel eat?

The White-faced Storm Petrel feeds on fish/invertebrates, usually foraging in flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

4 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the White-faced Storm Petrel live in Australia?

The White-faced Storm Petrel is native to Australia, recorded across 27 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingAO, IO, PO : Salvage (north-west of Canary Is.), Canary and Cape Verde is. (Macaronesia, off north-west Africa), Tristan da Cunha group including Gough (south-central Atlantic Ocean), south Australian islets and New Zealand region

Non-breedingTo subtropical waters in North and South Atlantic, north-west and tropical Indian to Seychelles, and south-east Pacific oceans

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Breeding
  • Vagrant

8 regions recorded