Hawaiian Petrel
NameHawaiian Petrel
Common NameHawaiian Petrel
Scientific NamePterodroma sandwichensis
FamilyProcellariidae
Wingspan (cm)87
Length (cm)42
Weight (g)380
Plumage DetailsDark sooty-brown upperparts, including the crown and nape, contrast sharply with pure white underparts. It features a distinctive white forehead and a dark patch around the eye. The underwing shows a dark leading edge and tip, with a broad white central panel.
Vocalization / CallAt breeding colonies, it produces a distinctive nocturnal call, often described as a wailing 'oo-AH-oo' or 'ti-ti-ti', along with various cooing and purring sounds.
Primary Dietpiscivore
Primary Habitatscoastal, mountain
Conservation Statusendangered
Geographic RangeBreeds exclusively in the Hawaiian Islands, primarily on Maui, Hawaiʻi, and Kauaʻi, nesting in burrows on high volcanic slopes. Forages widely across the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Identifying Featuresdark sooty-brown upperparts, white underparts, white forehead, dark eye patch, long, narrow wings, buoyant, swift flight over ocean
Description
The Hawaiian Petrel is a medium-sized seabird that spends most of its life at sea, returning to land only to breed in burrows on high volcanic slopes. It exhibits a graceful, swift flight, gliding low over the ocean waves with long, narrow wings.
