Pterodroma sandwichensis
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The Hawaiian petrel or ʻuaʻu (Pterodroma sandwichensis) is a large, dark grey-brown and white petrel that is endemic to Hawaiʻi. The Hawaiian petrel was formerly found on all the main Hawaiian Islands except Niʻihau, but today it is mostly restricted to Haleakalā crater on Maui; smaller populations exist on Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaiʻi, Waimea Canyon on the island of Kauaʻi, Lānaʻihale on Lānaʻi, and possibly Molokaʻi.
It was formerly lumped together with a very similar species from the Galapagos Islands. In 2013 a specimen was retrieved from Arizona near the Colorado River, marking the first inland North America record of this species. On August 7, 2023, a Hawaiian petrel was reported near Cape Arago, proximate to Coos County, Oregon. It is not the first record of the species in the state, and there are also reports of it from California.
Their diet consists of 50–75% squid, and smaller percentages of fish and crustaceans. These birds nest in burrows or rock crevices. Their breeding season extends from March to October. The female lays one white egg. When the chick hatches, the parents go out to sea and feed during...
Call0:09
United States · 2011
© UCSC CCAL · XC89638 · CC BY-NC-ND 2.5
Recording0:16
United States · 2021
© Steven Kurniawidjaja · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haleakala National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Hawaiian Petrel sighting in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 34th most-seen of the 44 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hawaiian Petrel in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hawaiian Petrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Hawaiian Petrel sightings, Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Haleakala National Park (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hawaiian Petrel is recorded against all the birds logged in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (13 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.
