Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Barau's Petrel

Pterodroma baraui

The Barau's petrel, a medium-sized gadfly petrel from the Procellariidae family, is a remarkable seabird with a length of approximately 40 cm. It boasts a striking plumage with white undersides and a white forehead, contrasting sharply with its dark upper parts. The wings and back display a moderately distinct "M" pattern, while its bill is a deep black.

Identification Tips

When observing Barau's petrel, look for the characteristic "M" pattern across the wings and back, which is a key feature for identification. The contrast between the white underparts and the darker upper parts is also a helpful distinguishing mark. The black bill is another feature to note.

Habitat

This species has a preference for high-altitude forested areas for breeding, particularly on the island of Réunion, where it digs burrows under the forest canopy.

Distribution

Barau's petrel has a range that spans the Indian Ocean, from Réunion to Western Australia and Indonesia. The majority of the population is found on Réunion, with a single nest recorded on the island of Rodrigues.

Behaviour

Barau's petrels are highly pelagic when at sea, engaging in surface-seizing and plunge diving to catch small fish. They are known to feed in association with other seabird species.

Breeding

The breeding colonies of Barau's petrel are unusually located far inland and at high elevations, around 2,400-2,700 meters above sea level. While the breeding biology is not extensively studied, it is inferred that they have a 55-day incubation period and chicks take about 100–120 days to fledge. Notably, these petrels return to their colonies during the day, utilizing thermal updrafts to conserve energy. Fledging occurs between November and February.

Conservation status

Barau's petrel is currently classified as an endangered species. Its restricted breeding range and past hunting pressures have contributed to its vulnerability. Although hunting has ceased and the population appears to be recovering, the species now faces threats from introduced predators and light pollution. Artificial lights disorient fledglings, leading to a significant number of them failing to reach the sea. Conservation efforts include rescuing disoriented chicks and releasing them at sea, as well as initiatives to reduce light pollution by shielding light sources.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Barau's Petrels on Birda

Sightings
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Sonwabile Daza
Sonwabile Daza
28 Jan 2025 - 9:01am

More Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels

A photo of a Buller's Shearwater (Ardenna bulleri)

Buller's Shearwater

Ardenna bulleri
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Ellesse_W
Learning Birding with Birda
I’m relatively new to birding as a hobby, and Birda is a great way to keep track off all the species I see. I’m still working on my ID skills, but the app is great for figuring out potential species, and the online community is so friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend Birda to both early and serious birders! 🐦
JCBirding
Just what birding needs
We need more fun in birding, for years it has had a reputation for being up tight and stuffy and only perused by retirees and anoraks. Birda helps change that perception and firmly brings birding into the 21st century! Fun, interactive while still contributing to science and conservation. If you aren’t on it, why not??
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
Mike T
Sense of Community
A great app, which is continually being improved. What really comes through is the passion of those behind the app. The sense of community is brilliant, so much help and support provided to new and/or in experienced birders.
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
Foxgirl100
Great app for beginner twitchers
I’ve had a passion of photographing birds for a long time now but have only just gotten into proper birdwatching, and this app is brilliant for those just getting started. There is a great sense of community among users and the app is very easy to use and professional. Awesome app altogether
Leonie
We've been waiting for an App like this
Excellent! We've been waiting for an app like this! Thank you! It would be nice if you could assign additional birds to sessions later!
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.