Birds
Providence Petrel
Pterodroma solandri · also called Solander's petrel
Named for a moment when its own arrival saved starving settlers from famine, a Providence petrel now breeds on only a handful of remote islands near Australia, having been hunted to local extinction on the very island where its name was born.
Overview
The Providence petrel, Pterodroma solandri, is a Vulnerable seabird native to ocean habitat across the Tasman Sea and South Pacific, breeding on remote islands near Australia. Its remarkable naming history tied to early colonial survival, its restricted modern breeding range, and its local extinction from Norfolk Island make it one of the more historically significant gadfly petrels found anywhere in the Pacific.
A name born from desperation and relief
When food ran perilously short for early Norfolk Island settlers, the sudden, overwhelming arrival of Providence petrels arriving to breed gave the colony an unexpected lifeline, a moment of relief so significant it gave the species its lasting name, even though hunting later wiped the birds from that same island entirely.
Status
Vulnerable, with populations confined to a small number of remote breeding islands after historical hunting eliminated the species from Norfolk Island, though numbers remain relatively stable at surviving sites.
Providence Petrel: common questions
Why is it called the Providence petrel?
This species is named for an event on Norfolk Island, where starving early settlers were saved by an enormous, unexpected arrival of the birds, which provided a desperately needed emergency food source.
Does the Providence petrel still breed on Norfolk Island?
No, this species was hunted to local extinction on Norfolk Island itself, though it continues to breed on other nearby islands within its historical range.
Where does the Providence petrel breed today?
This species breeds on only a small number of remote islands near Australia, a considerably restricted range compared with some other gadfly petrel species.
What does the Providence petrel look like?
This species has almost entirely dark brown-black plumage overall, offering little of the sharp contrasting pattern seen in some related petrel species.