Photo: Duncan Wright, USFWS / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Seabirds & Tubenoses

Bonin Petrel

Pterodroma hypoleuca

Bonin Petrel (Pterodroma hypoleuca) — Seabirds & Tubenoses of Oceans & Seabirds.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Japan Birds of the United States Birds of Hawaii

By family

Petrels & Shearwaters of Japan Petrels & Shearwaters of the United States Petrels & Shearwaters of Hawaii

See what's near you right now

The Bonin Petrel (Pterodroma hypoleuca) is a member of the Procellariidae family found in Oceans & Seabirds. Adults weigh 176 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 hypoleuca

Where it lives

Ogasawara Is. (=Bonin) and Iwo Is. (=Volcano; southeast of Japan) and Kure Atoll to French Frigate Shoals (Northwestern Hawaiian Is.)

Oceans & Seabirds

Quick facts

Weight: 176 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Procellariidae
Order: Procellariiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Vulnerable

Biology & behaviour

Diet

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

The Bonin Petrel (Pterodroma hypoleuca) is a species of bird in the Procellariidae family, part of the order Procellariiformes. Its range spans Oceans & Seabirds. Its distribution covers PO Ogasawara Is. (=Bonin) and Iwo Is. (=Volcano; se of Japan) and Kure Atoll to French Frigate Shoals (Northwestern Hawaiian Is.).

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 176 g, with a wing length of about 22.8 cm and a tail of around 10.5 cm.

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

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 18.8 million km² — a very large global range.

Songs & calls

Bonin Petrel — Call, flight call

Recorded by Percy Ulsamer Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Bonin Petrel?

The Bonin Petrel is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 176 g.

Where does the Bonin Petrel live?

The Bonin Petrel is found across Oceans & Seabirds with a range covering PO Ogasawara Is. (=Bonin) and Iwo Is. (=Volcano; se of Japan) and Kure Atoll to French Frigate Shoals (Northwestern Hawaiian Is.), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Bonin Petrel belong to?

The Bonin Petrel (Pterodroma hypoleuca) belongs to the Procellariidae family, in the order Procellariiformes.

What does the Bonin Petrel eat?

The Bonin Petrel hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Bonin Petrel migrate?

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

Is the Bonin 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 Bonin Petrel make?

1 real field recording of the Bonin 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 Bonin Petrel's range?

The Bonin Petrel has a mapped global range of about 18.8 million km².