Pseudobulweria rostrata
Silhouette: Martin Riethmuller · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The Tahiti petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata) is a medium-sized, dark brown and white seabird found across the Pacific Ocean. The Tahiti petrel belongs to the Procellariidae family and is the most studied member of the Pseudobulweria genus which comprises three critically endangered species. Similarly, the Tahiti petrel is considered near threatened by the 2018 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Threats include introduced rats, feral cats, pigs, dogs, nickel mining, and light pollution.
In 1848, Peale collected and described the first specimen of this species in Tahiti. Then, in 1917, the Tahiti petrel was separated into two subspecies: rostrata and trouessarti, due to trouessarti's more robust bill. Also, after originally... Wikipedia →
Song0:36
France · 2007
© Nicolas Delelis · XC305358 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Manuel Antonio National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tahiti Petrel sighting in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 164th most-seen of the 241 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Tahiti Petrel in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months. That is one of Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve's wettest months, with about 510 mm of rain against 15 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tahiti Petrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Tahiti Petrel sightings, Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Manuel Antonio National Park (Costa Rica, under 5%).
Same family: Procellariidae
The closest relatives of the Tahiti Petrel that you can see in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (family Procellariidae, Shearwaters and Petrels) are Galápagos Shearwater (about 10%) and Wedge-tailed Shearwater (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tahiti Petrel is recorded against all the birds logged in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (20 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
