Bulwer's petrel is a small petrel in the family Procellariidae that is found in tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is named after the English naturalist James Bulwer.
Region
Tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans
Typical Environment
A highly pelagic species, it occurs over open oceans far from land, typically beyond the continental shelf. It breeds on remote oceanic islands and islets with steep slopes, cliffs, and lava fields that offer burrows and rock crevices. At sea it frequents warm-water regions, oceanic fronts, and areas of upwelling where prey is concentrated. Outside the breeding season it disperses widely across tropical and subtropical waters.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 900 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Bulwer's petrel is a sleek, long-winged oceanic bird that spends most of its life far from land, returning to remote islands only to breed. It is strictly nocturnal at colonies, slipping into burrows or rock crevices to avoid predators. Light pollution and introduced mammals are key threats at nesting sites, but the global population remains widespread. Its name honors the English naturalist James Bulwer, who helped bring the species to scientific attention.
Roosting in a sea wall on Tern Island in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Egg of Bulwer's petrel(coll.MHNT)
Temperament
solitary and pelagic
Flight Pattern
buoyant shearing flight low over waves with short rapid wingbeats and frequent glides
Social Behavior
Breeds colonially on isolated islands, using burrows or rock crevices for nesting. Mostly nocturnal at breeding sites, arriving and departing under cover of darkness. Forms long-term pairs, laying a single egg per season with shared incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
At colonies, gives soft, chattering and purring calls, often delivered from within burrows at night. Generally silent at sea.
Plumage
Mostly uniform sooty-brown with a silky sheen; wings long and narrow with a slightly paler panel on the upperwing.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small fish, cephalopods (especially squid), and crustaceans taken at or near the surface. It often seizes prey while alighting briefly on the water or by surface-dipping in flight. May forage around productive fronts and occasionally associates with schools of predatory fish.
Preferred Environment
Open ocean beyond the continental shelf, especially warm waters with localized upwelling or convergence zones. Rarely approaches land except during the breeding season.
