Lord Howe Island Birds

White-chinned Petrel

White-chinned Petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis)

Wingspan 1400mm, body weight 1.3-1.39kg. A southern ocean bird, breeds southern ocean islands and some NZ islands. First record for Lord Howe, very rare around here. A very distinctive bill. My only sighting of this bird.

Tahiti Petrel

Tahiti Petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrate)

Wingspan 840mm, body weight 300g. Petrel of the tropical Pacific, First record for Lord Howe, very rare around here. My only sighting of this bird.

Kermadec Petrel

Kermadec Petrel (Pterodroma neglecta)

Wingspan 1000m, body weight 370-590g

You can find this bird here all year around, only at sea. The only place in Australia it breeds is Balls Pyramid, 23km south east of Lord Howe. Once breed on LHI but rats pushed it off the main Island. There are three different phase, Dark morph, Intermediate morph and Light morph. White flashes on upper wing and also lower wing.

Southern Giant Petrel

Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus)

Wingspan 1950mm body weight 3.8-5kg Bill has greenish tip.

We see this great bird here over the winter months, not common.

Providence Petrel

Providence Pertel (Pterodroma solandri)

Wingspan 1000mm, body weight 500g. Tasman Sea endemic, Breeds on Lord Howe Island from March to November. The best time to see them here is April. Large numbers gather around the mountain tops each year to produce one chick. A fantastic sight to behold, one of my favourite LHI birds.

Grey-faced Petrel

Grey-faced Pertel (Pterodroma gouldi)

Wingspan 1000mm, body weight 595-740g. New Zealand endemic, Breeds on islands of the north east coast of NZ north island. Can see at Lord Howe over spring and summer, hard to tell apart from the Great- winged Petrel.

Great-winged Petrel

Great-Winged Petrel (Pterodroma macroptera)

Wingspan 970mm, weight 440-680g. Not a common visitor to Lord Howe. Breeds Sub-Antarctic and Antarctic islands.

Cape Petrel

Cape Petrel (Daption capense) Wingspan 850mm. Only see a few of these over the winter months at Lord Howe. Breeds on ice free coast of Antarctica, South Georgia and southern ocean islands.

Gould’s Petrel

Gould’s Petrel (Pterodroma leucoptera), Wingspan 600mm another fairly rare visitor to Lord Howe. Breeds on CabbageTree island off the south-east coast of Australia.

Cook’s Petrel

Cook’s Petrel (Pterodroma cookii)  Wingspan 660mm A rare sighting for Lord Howe, I shot this one October 2010 the only sighting of this bird for our waters. Breeds on southern NZ islands endemic.