Galapagos Petrel
CR

Galapagos Petrel

Pterodroma phaeopygia

Declining

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_petrel

Overview

The Galápagos petrel is one of the six endemic seabirds of the Galápagos. Its scientific name derives from Ancient Greek: Pterodroma originates from pteron and dromos, meaning "wing" and "runner", and phaeopygia comes from phaios and pugios, meaning "dusky" and "rump". Members of Pterodroma genus are also called the gadfly petrels because their erratic twisting and turning in flight resemble that of gadflies.

The Galápagos Petrel faces severe threats from introduced predators, particularly cats, rats, and pigs that destroy nests and kill adults, chicks, and eggs. Light pollution from human settlements disrupts the nocturnal behavior of fledglings, causing them to become disoriented and crash into artificial lights rather than heading to sea. Climate change and El Niño events alter marine food webs, reducing prey availability during critical breeding periods.

Threat summary

Habitat

This endemic seabird nests exclusively in highland areas of the Galápagos Islands, creating burrows in soft volcanic soil among native vegetation at elevations between 200-1,600 meters. During non-breeding periods, it forages in pelagic waters of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, often far from the islands.

MARINE· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

Conservation measures underway

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Other threatened species in PROCELLARIIDAE

EN

Hawaiian Petrel

Pterodroma sandwichensis

Declining
VU

White-winged Petrel

Pterodroma leucoptera

Declining
VU

Trindade Petrel

Pterodroma arminjoniana

Stable
VU

Cook's Petrel

Pterodroma cookii

Increasing

Threatened in Ecuador

EN

Puya fastuosa

Unknown
VU

Diospyros esmereg

Declining
VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

Declining
EN

Baird's Tapir

Tapirus bairdii

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Galapagos Petrel classified as Critically Endangered?
Galapagos Petrel is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Galápagos Petrel faces severe threats from introduced predators, particularly cats, rats, and pigs that destroy nests and kill adults, chicks, and eggs. Light pollution from human settlements disrupts the nocturnal behavior of fledglings, causing them to become disoriented and crash into artificial lights rather than heading to sea. Climate change and El Niño events alter marine food webs, reducing prey availability during critical breeding periods.
Where does Galapagos Petrel live?
Galapagos Petrel occurs in Ecuador, and Peru. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Galapagos Petrel?
The main threats to Galapagos Petrel are 11.1, 2.1, 2.3, and 8.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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