Photo: Christopher Stephens (christopherstephens) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Seabirds & Tubenoses

Black-winged Petrel

Pterodroma nigripennis

Black-winged Petrel (Pterodroma nigripennis) — Seabirds & Tubenoses of Oceans & Seabirds.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 16 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of Japan Birds of New Zealand Birds of the United States Birds of New South Wales Birds of Queensland Birds of Tasmania Birds of Hawaii

By family

Petrels & Shearwaters of Australia Petrels & Shearwaters of Japan Petrels & Shearwaters of New Zealand Petrels & Shearwaters of the United States Petrels & Shearwaters of New South Wales Petrels & Shearwaters of Queensland Petrels & Shearwaters of Tasmania Petrels & Shearwaters of Hawaii

See what's near you right now

The Black-winged Petrel (Pterodroma nigripennis) is a member of the Procellariidae family found in Oceans & Seabirds. Adults weigh 174 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Genus Pterodroma
Species nigripennis

Where it lives

Round I. (northeast of Mauritius, central Mascarenes, southwestern Indian Ocean); Lord Howe and Norfolk is. (far east of Australia), Grande Terre (New Caledonia), northern, eastern North I. and Kermadec Is. (northeast of North I.) and Chatham Is. (east of South I.; New Zealand), Tonga and Cook Is. (central Polynesia), Bass Rock (=Marotiri, southeastern Austral Is., eastern Polynesia), and Rapa (eastern Tubuai=Austral Is., southeastern Polynesia)

Oceans & Seabirds

Quick facts

Weight: 174 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Procellariidae
Order: Procellariiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Vulnerable

Collared Petrel

Pterodroma brevipes

Vulnerable

Pycroft’s Petrel

Pterodroma pycrofti

Vulnerable

Gould’s Petrel

Pterodroma leucoptera

Least Concern

Bonin Petrel

Pterodroma hypoleuca

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Black-winged Petrel hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.

Migration

The Black-winged Petrel is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Black-winged Petrel (Pterodroma nigripennis) is a species of petrels, shearwaters, diving petrels in the family Procellariidae, order Procellariiformes. It is found in Oceans & Seabirds — Round I. (ne of Mauritius, c Mascarenes, sw Indian Ocean); Lord Howe and Norfolk is. (far e of Australia), Grande Terre (New Caledonia), n, e North I. and Kermadec Is. (ne of North I.) and Chatham Is. (e of South I.; New Zealand), Tonga and Cook Is. (c Polynesia), Bass Rock (=Marotiri, se Austral Is., e Polynesia), and Rapa (e Tubuai=Austral Is., se Polynesia).

Songs & calls

Black-winged Petrel — Call

Recorded by David Boyle Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Black-winged Petrel?

The Black-winged Petrel is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 174 g.

Where does the Black-winged Petrel live?

The Black-winged Petrel is found across Oceans & Seabirds with a range covering PO Round I. (ne of Mauritius, c Mascarenes, sw Indian Ocean); Lord Howe and Norfolk is. (far e of Australia), Grande Terre (New Caledonia), n, e North I. and Kermadec Is. (ne of North I.) and Chatham Is. (e of South I.; New Zealand), Tonga and Cook Is. (c Polynesia), Bass Rock (=Marotiri, se Austral Is., e Polynesia), and Rapa (e Tubuai=Austral Is., se Polynesia), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Black-winged Petrel belong to?

The Black-winged Petrel (Pterodroma nigripennis) belongs to the Procellariidae family, in the order Procellariiformes.

What does the Black-winged Petrel eat?

The Black-winged Petrel hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Black-winged Petrel migrate?

The Black-winged Petrel is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Black-winged Petrel endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Black-winged Petrel make?

1 real field recording of the Black-winged Petrel — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Black-winged Petrel's range?

The Black-winged Petrel has a mapped global range of about 118.4 million km².