Grey-backed Storm Petrel
Garrodia nereis
The Grey-backed Storm Petrel (Garrodia nereis) is a rare southern storm petrel found in 6 countries, weighing about 38 g. The grey-backed storm petrel is a species of seabird in the austral storm petrel family Oceanitidae.
About the Grey-backed Storm Petrel
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.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Grey-backed storm petrel is a small bird, 21-44 g in weight with a 39–40 cm wingspan. Like others in its family it is dark grey overall with a black head and belly, but it can be distinguished from other storm-petrels in its range by its light grey rump compared to the white rump on others. The Grey-backed petrel has a pale back, black legs, a square tail and a white belly.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in December. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Grey-backed Storm Petrel?
- Grey-backed storm petrel is a small bird, 21-44 g in weight with a 39–40 cm wingspan. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Grey-backed Storm Petrel?
- The Grey-backed Storm Petrel is a small sized bird weighing about 38 g.
- Where can you see a Grey-backed Storm Petrel?
- The Grey-backed Storm Petrel occurs in 6 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the Falkland Islands, Argentina and South Africa.
- What birds look similar to a Grey-backed Storm Petrel?
- The Grey-backed Storm Petrel is most easily confused with the Black-bellied Storm Petrel, the White-bellied Storm Petrel and the Pincoya Storm Petrel.
- Is the Grey-backed Storm Petrel endangered?
- The Grey-backed Storm Petrel is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Grey-backed Storm Petrel for real
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