European Storm Petrel

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Atlantic; remote islands.
Diet: Plankton, fish oil.
Best time to spot: Sparrow-sized seabird; pattering feet.

When to look

Scarce or local in the UK. Timing varies by region, so check recent sightings before you travel. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in British seabirds.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The European Storm Petrel sits in our Rare tier for the UK: scarce or very local, so most birders need a planned trip. It is Amber-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the middle level of concern in the UK.

Where to see it

Reserves where the European Storm Petrel is on the list:

• Isles of Scilly

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Leach's Storm PetrelRare · Atlantic; few remote colonies
• Madeiran Storm PetrelLegendary · Pelagic (very rare)
• Swinhoe's Storm PetrelLegendary · Open sea (extreme vagrant)
• Manx ShearwaterUncommon · Atlantic; islands (summer)
• Great ShearwaterRare · Open Atlantic (autumn)
• Sooty ShearwaterRare · Open Atlantic (autumn passage)

Kit that helps

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