The White-faced Storm Petrel (Pelagodroma marina) is an Australian bird or regular visitor that can be identified most reliably by combining shape, plumage, habitat and behaviour. A small storm petrel with a white face and underparts, dark eye patch, grey-brown wings and back, and long legs that often dangle while feeding. Adults are typically about 19–21 cm long, although posture, sex, age and plumage can affect how large an individual appears in the field.
How to identify a White-faced Storm Petrel
A small storm petrel with a white face and underparts, dark eye patch, grey-brown wings and back, and long legs that often dangle while feeding. Start with overall silhouette before focusing on colour. Check the bill, legs, tail, wing shape and any bold head or body pattern. Distance, shade, glare and strong Australian sunlight can change the apparent colour of feathers, so several matching features are more useful than a single mark.
White-faced Storm Petrels use a distinctive bouncing or pattering flight, facing into the wind and touching the sea surface with their feet while picking tiny prey. Behaviour can be one of the quickest ways to confirm an identification because closely related birds often feed, fly or perch differently even when their plumage looks similar.
Where is the White-faced Storm Petrel found in Australia?
Found in southern Australian waters and breeds on a number of offshore islands, including sites off southern mainland Australia and Tasmania.
Typical habitat includes open ocean and offshore islands with sandy soil, low vegetation or suitable burrowing ground. Distribution can shift with rainfall, drought, breeding conditions, migration, tides and local food supply, so an apparently unusual sighting should be checked against season as well as location.
What does the White-faced Storm Petrel eat?
Tiny crustaceans, plankton, small fish and other minute marine prey taken from the surface. Watching exactly how a bird feeds can provide another useful clue. Note whether it runs and pecks, probes mud, sweeps its bill, plunge-dives, surface-dips or catches food in flight. Feeding technique often separates species that share the same habitat.
Wild birds do not need processed human food. Protecting natural habitat, clean water and native food sources is usually a better way to support them than regular feeding.
Behaviour and calls
White-faced Storm Petrels use a distinctive bouncing or pattering flight, facing into the wind and touching the sea surface with their feet while picking tiny prey.
At sea they are usually quiet, while colonies can produce soft chattering and purring calls after dark. Voice can be especially useful when distance, a crowded flock or low light makes visual identification difficult. Try to notice the rhythm and tone as well as a written approximation of the sound.
Nesting and breeding
They nest in burrows or cavities on offshore islands and are largely nocturnal at the colony to reduce predation risk. Breeding timing varies according to latitude, climate and species. Many migratory shorebirds seen in Australia breed in the Northern Hemisphere, while resident terns and seabirds may nest on Australian beaches or offshore islands. If you find a nest or dependent young, observe from a respectful distance.
Similar birds
Wilson’s Storm Petrels are much darker overall with a bright white rump, while other small petrels lack the broad white face.
When two species remain difficult to separate, compare photographs against multiple field marks rather than choosing on colour alone. Geographic range, voice, habitat and feeding style may be more decisive than one feather pattern.
Quick identification tip
Remember three things: its approximate size is 19–21 cm; its key visual clue is a small storm petrel with a white face and underparts, dark eye patch, grey-brown wings and back, and long legs that often dangle while feeding.; and a typical setting is open ocean and offshore islands with sandy soil, low vegetation or suitable burrowing ground. Matching all three gives a much stronger identification than any one clue by itself.
Sources and further reading
For additional Australian bird information and conservation guidance, see BirdLife Australia bird profiles and the Australian Museum bird collection. Image licensing and creator information for this page is recorded from the linked Wikimedia Commons file page.
