Leach's Storm Petrel

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Atlantic; few remote colonies.
Diet: Plankton, small squid.
Best time to spot: Forked tail; bouncy flight.

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 Leach's Storm Petrel sits in our Rare tier for the UK: scarce or very local, so most birders need a planned trip. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK. It is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is an offence to disturb it at or near the nest. We blur the location of every sighting of this species.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• European Storm PetrelRare · Atlantic; remote islands
• Madeiran Storm PetrelLegendary · Pelagic (very rare)
• Swinhoe's Storm PetrelLegendary · Open sea (extreme vagrant)
• Great ShearwaterRare · Open Atlantic (autumn)
• Roseate TernRare · Few breeding colonies
• Sooty ShearwaterRare · Open Atlantic (autumn passage)

Kit that helps

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