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

Black-winged Petrel

Pterodroma nigripennis

The Black-winged Petrel, Pterodroma nigripennis, is a small seabird with a graceful presence, characterized by its long, narrow wings and a body length averaging 29 centimeters. Its wingspan stretches to an average of 67 centimeters, allowing it to glide effortlessly over the ocean. The bird's plumage is a study in contrasts, with a pale grey cap and nape, white cheeks, and a dark grey collar. The dorsal surface is also pale grey, while the upperside of the wings transitions from pale grey at the base to a dark greyish-black along the outer edge. The underparts are a pristine white, and the wings' outer edges are a stark black. A square-cut tail with black and white barring completes its distinctive appearance.

Identification Tips

When observing the Black-winged Petrel, look for its small head and short black beak, which are proportionate to its slender body. The pale grey and white contrasts of its head are quite noticeable, as is the dark grey collar. In flight, the petrel's pale grey dorsal surface and the striking black edges of its wings are key identification features.

Habitat

This pelagic species is most at home on the open ocean, where it spends the majority of its life, only venturing to land for the purpose of breeding.

Distribution

The Black-winged Petrel's breeding range is quite expansive, encompassing oceanic islands in the tropical and subtropical East Pacific Ocean, from Lord Howe Island and eastern Australia to New Caledonia, the Chatham Islands, and the Austral Islands in French Polynesia. Outside the breeding season, it migrates northward, frequenting a broad belt of ocean between Peru and Hawaii.

Behaviour

The Black-winged Petrel is an adept forager, often seen skimming across the sea's surface or pattering across the water with its feet to snatch up prey. It is known to associate with other members of the Procellariiformes order during feeding.

Diet and Feeding

This seabird's diet includes cephalopods and prawns, which it captures with its specialized surface-skimming and water-pattering techniques.

Breeding

The Black-winged Petrel exhibits a preference for sandy soil on grassy slopes inland from the shore for its breeding sites. It constructs a tunnel up to a meter long, often concealed by vegetation, where it lays a single egg in a leaf-lined chamber. Both parents share the responsibility of incubation, which lasts about 45 days, and they also both feed the young, which fledges after approximately 85 days.

Conservation status

With an estimated global population of eight to ten million individuals, the Black-winged Petrel is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. Its large population is widely distributed, indicating a stable species at present.

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

Black-winged Petrels on Birda

Sightings
A map showing the sighting location
🎋
Vaidhussen Acbaraly
03 Oct 2024 - 6:20am
Vietnam

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
Amylia S
Best app for any birding person!
I love this app!! I am so addicted to it when I saw it had 3 star review I was so sad! The app is awesome!! The best app for any birding person! ❤️
Marlster24
Recommend for any bird watcher
Very wholesome app: I joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😃
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.
Trevarthen1
Birda fan
I really enjoy using Birda, all sightings are recorded and photos can be added. There are monthly challenges which help to get you out to record your sightings. The Birda community are great and are happy to help with unidentified bird sightings. Suitable for all ages and experience!
Dan R
Great app for bird fanatics
Great app for bird fanatics - very user friendly and a perfect place to share sightings.
BCHphotography_
Such a great app!
I didn’t think I could enjoy birding more but this app makes it so much better. Some great features and a really great way to share your sightings with your friends or fellow birders nearby or around the world! ❤️
Nedz53
Really useful
Downloaded to give it a try, everything worked perfectly, recorded my first bird watching walk. Very impressed. Have already recommended to friends!
SW H
Wonderful App
Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.
Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😄
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.