About
Beck’s Petrel was only definitely known from two specimens taken in 1928 and 1929, until its rediscovery in 2007.
The single largest single record since its rediscovery was a minimum count of 300 individuals in Silur Bay. This species is part of the genus Pseudobulweria¸ which diverged from all other birds 35.7 million years ago during the Paleogene period, which is around when humans and capuchins shared a common ancestor. This species is likely to have declined severely from depredation by introduced cats and rats on its breeding grounds. Also as petrels are nocturnal, they are notoriously difficult to detect during surveys. Conservation actions are underway, taking place in southern New Ireland including liaison and outreach to communities. There is also a programme to deploy satellite-transmitters to birds captured at sea, to narrow down the search areas for the species’ breeding ground.
- Order: Procellariiformes
- Family: Procellariidae
- Population: 70-400
- Trend: decreasing
- Size: 29cm
EDGE Score
Distribution
The species is found in Papua New Guinea; Solomon Islands, and also Vanuatu; Wallis and Futuna Islands.
Habitat and Ecology
This species is likely to nest in burrows on the slopes of mountains on larger islands, but may also breed on islets. This species may also breed in montane forest.
