Family: Procellariidae (Petrels, Shearwaters)

Authority: (Murphy, 1928)

Red List Category

Criteria: C2a(i,ii)

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Justification of Red List category
This species has recently been rediscovered, with confirmed records of at least 30 and at most 160 birds from expeditions in 2007 and 2008 and with a minimum of 100 birds estimated in 2012 and a minimum count of 300 individuals recorded in 2016. It may have declined severely from depredation by introduced cats and rats on its breeding grounds (which are unknown but thought likely to be include New Ireland). However, the paucity of records is most likely because there have been relatively few searches at sea, plus petrels that are nocturnal at the nesting grounds are notoriously difficult to detect, and there are numerous possible breeding sites on isolated atolls and islands that require surveying. A very small number of mature individuals are currently known, all within a single subpopulation which is suspected to have declined, and it is consequently classified as Critically Endangered. It may however qualify for downlisting in the future if further surveys reveal it to be more numerous than is currently known.

Population size: 50-249 mature individuals

Population trend: decreasing

Extent of occurrence (breeding/resident): 770,000 km²

Country endemic: no

Attributes
Land-mass type - oceanic island
Realm - Oceanian
IUCN System - Terrestrial
IUCN System - Marine