Galápagos Petrel
Galápagos PetrelGalápagos PetrelGalápagos PetrelGalápagos Petrel

Galápagos Petrel

Pterodroma phaeopygia

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Machalilla National Park
13 Verified records at Machalilla National Park
July 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 →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Galápagos Petrel sighting in Machalilla National Park, based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Machalilla National Park

Sooty Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Puffinus griseus

10–20% · With luck
White-chinned Petrel
VU

White-chinned Petrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Procellaria aequinoctialis

Insufficient data
Pink-footed Shearwater

Pink-footed Shearwater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Puffinus creatopus

<5% · Rare
Parkinson's Petrel
VU

Parkinson's Petrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Procellaria parkinsoni

<5% · Rare
Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel

Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oceanodroma tethys

<5% · Rare
Waved Albatross
CR

Waved Albatross

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phoebastria irrorata

<5% · Rare
Black Storm-Petrel
LC

Black Storm-Petrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hydrobates melania

<5% · Rare
Elliot's Storm Petrel

Elliot's Storm Petrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oceanites gracilis

Insufficient data
Buller's Mollymawk
NT

Buller's Mollymawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalassarche bulleri

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
10–20
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
5–10
Nov
<5
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 Machalilla National Park?

About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Galápagos Petrel sighting in Machalilla National Park, based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Galápagos Petrel in Machalilla National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for Galápagos Petrel in Machalilla National Park in our monthly data.

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