Galápagos Petrel
Galápagos PetrelGalápagos PetrelGalápagos PetrelGalápagos Petrel

Galápagos Petrel

Pterodroma phaeopygia

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
20–30% · Possible
overall probability at Galápagos Islands
1,488 Verified records at Galápagos Islands
June Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The Galápagos petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) is one of the six endemic seabirds of the Galápagos. Its scientific name derives from Ancient Greek: Pterodroma originates from pteron and dromos, meaning "wing" and "runner", and phaeopygia comes from phaios and pugios, meaning "dusky" and "rump". Members of Pterodroma genus are also called the gadfly petrels because their erratic twisting and turning in flight resemble that of gadflies. Known by locals as pata pegada or "web-footed one", Galápagos petrels are highly adapted to the ocean and spend most of their time at sea eating invertebrates and fish. At sea, they are indistinguishable from the Hawaiian petrels: consequently, they were considered the same species for a while. When breeding season arises, they return to their large colonies located on the highlands of some Galápagos islands. Wikipedia →

20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Galápagos Petrel sighting in Galápagos Islands, based on 1,488 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Galápagos Islands

Galápagos Shearwater
LC

Galápagos Shearwater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Puffinus subalaris

50–60% · Likely
Sooty Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Puffinus griseus

<5% · Rare
Pink-footed Shearwater

Pink-footed Shearwater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Puffinus creatopus

<5% · Rare
Wedge-tailed Shearwater

Wedge-tailed Shearwater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Puffinus pacificus

<5% · Rare
Cape Petrel
LC Endemic

Cape Petrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Daption capense

<5% · Rare
Parkinson's Petrel
VU

Parkinson's Petrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Procellaria parkinsoni

<5% · Rare
Christmas Shearwater
LC

Christmas Shearwater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Puffinus nativitatis

Insufficient data
Elliot's Storm Petrel

Elliot's Storm Petrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oceanites gracilis

50–60% · Likely
Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel

Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oceanodroma tethys

20–30% · Possible
Waved Albatross
CR

Waved Albatross

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phoebastria irrorata

10–20% · With luck
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel

Band-rumped Storm-Petrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oceanodroma castro

10–20% · With luck
Wilson's Storm Petrel
LC

Wilson's Storm Petrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oceanites oceanicus

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
10–20
Feb
10–20
Mar
20–30
Apr
10–20
May
30–40
Jun
20–30
Jul
20–30
Aug
10–20
Sep
20–30
Oct
10–20
Nov
10–20
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
20–30%
2 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Galápagos Petrel in Galápagos Islands?

About 21% of wildlife watchers report a Galápagos Petrel sighting in Galápagos Islands, based on 1,488 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Galápagos Petrel in Galápagos Islands?

June has the highest sighting rate for Galápagos Petrel in Galápagos Islands in our monthly data.

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