White-necked Petrel
Pterodroma cervicalis
The White-necked Petrel (Pterodroma cervicalis) is a rare petrels, shearwaters, and diving petrel found in 13 countries, weighing about 445 g. The white-necked petrel, also known as the white-naped petrel, is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae.
About the White-necked Petrel
The white-necked petrel, also known as the white-naped petrel, is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. During the non-breeding season it occurs throughout a large part of the Pacific, but it is only known to breed on Macauley Island in New Zealand's Kermadec Islands and the Australian territory of Norfolk Island and Phillip Island. It formerly bred on Raoul Island, but has now been extirpated from this locality due to predation by rats and cats. Reports of breeding on Merelava, Vanuatu, are more likely to be the very similar Vanuatu petrel, P. occulta, which some consider to be a subspecies of the white-necked petrel. The IUCN rating as vulnerable is for the "combined" species.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This species resembles the Vanuatu petrel, P. occulta, but is slightly larger at 43 cm (17 in) in length, 95–105 cm (37–41 in) in wing span and 380–545 g (13.4–19.2 oz) in weight. It has a black cap, white rear neck, dark grey back, wings and tail, and a darker rump. The underparts are white with dark bases on the primary feathers. The upperparts of worn birds become darker. It is very difficult to separate the white-necked petrel from the Vanuatu petrel at sea.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Mexico, Pitcairn Islands, Kiribati.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, September, November, December, with peak activity in March. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a White-necked Petrel?
- This species resembles the Vanuatu petrel, P. occulta, but is slightly larger at 43 cm (17 in) in length, 95–105 cm (37–41 in) in wing span and 380–545 g (13.4–19.2 oz) in weight. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a White-necked Petrel?
- The White-necked Petrel is a large sized bird weighing about 445 g.
- Where can you see a White-necked Petrel?
- The White-necked Petrel occurs in 13 countries, including New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Tonga and Fiji.
- What birds look similar to a White-necked Petrel?
- The White-necked Petrel is most easily confused with the Trindade Petrel, the Bermuda Petrel and the Bonin Petrel.
- Is the White-necked Petrel endangered?
- The White-necked Petrel is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the White-necked Petrel for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.