Black-winged Petrel

The black-winged petrel is a small species of petrel with long, narrow wings. Its length averages 29 centimetres (11 in) and its wingspan averages 67 centimetres (26 in). It has a small head and short black beak, a slender body and square-cut tail. It has a pale grey cap and nape, white cheeks and a dark grey collar. The dorsal surface of the body is pale grey and the upperside of the wings is pale grey near the base but dark greyish-black along the outer edge. The underparts are white and the outer edges of the wings are black. The tail is barred in black and white.

The black-winged petrel is a pelagic species native to the East Pacific Ocean, living out at sea and only coming to land in order to breed. Its breeding range stretches from Lord Howe Island and eastern Australia to New Caledonia, New Zealand (the Kermadec Islands, Three Kings Islands, Chatham Islands) and the Austral Islands (French Polynesia) in the east. The largest colony in the world is on Macauley Island (Kermadec Islands). Outside the breeding season it migrates further north and most commonly occurs in a broad belt of ocean between Peru and Hawaii.