Pterodroma phaeopygia
Silhouette: Kimberly Haddrell · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
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.
The populations of Galápagos petrels have declined substantially over the last three generations (60 years) due to anthropogenic disturbances. Introduced predation (i.e. feral cats, dogs, pigs, and rats) and agricultural expansion have decreased the species' overall breeding success, survivability, and quality of habitats and nesting colonies. Although many conservation efforts are underway, its populations are currently still declining with an estimate of 6,000–15,000 mature individuals remaining. The species is now classified under "critically endangered" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Wikipedia →
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Ecuador · 2021
© Jacob Guachisaca Salínas · XC832718 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Machalilla National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Galápagos Petrel sighting in Galápagos Islands on a given day, based on 2,510 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 38th most-seen of the 114 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and June–July
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Galápagos Petrel in Galápagos Islands on a given day, against about 10% in September and December–February, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Galápagos 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 Galápagos Petrel sightings, Galápagos Islands has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Machalilla National Park (Ecuador, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Galápagos Petrel is recorded against all the birds logged in Galápagos Islands (2,510 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.
