Current view: Data table and detailed info
Taxonomic source(s)
Brooke, M. de L. 2004. Albatrosses and Petrels Across the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
SACC. 2005 and updates. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm.
IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Red List history
| Migratory status |
full migrant |
Forest dependency |
does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type |
shelf island
|
Average mass |
239 g |
Population justification: Based on colony observations, breeding populations are thought to occur in two main regions in Peru and Chile (C. Zavalaga in litt., Jahncke and Goya 1998, Valverde 2006, Guerra-Correa et al. 2011, Cristofari et al. 2019, Fernández et al. 2019, A Simeone in litt. 2020). In Peru, 11,100 breeding pairs were observed on Isla La Vieja in 1995, 1,109 on Isla San Gallán in 1996, and 10 on Corcovado Island in 2005. In 2010, 36,450 pairs were recorded on Isla La Vieja alone, indicating a significant increase since the mid-90s (C. Zavalaga in litt. 2010). There are an unknown number on Guañape Sur (A. Simeone in litt. 2020).
In Chile, 8 breeding pairs were observed on Fernández Vial Island (date unknown), 432 on Pan de Azúcar Island in 2012 (although higher counts of 3,317 pairs were observed in 2009 here, such numbers are considered uncertain, with little explanation behind possible inflation in population size), 97 on Isla Grande de Atacama in 2013 (with the small population residing here thought to form a population sink for migrant birds from neighbouring islands; Cristofari et al. 2019), 10,789-11,934 on Isla Choros during 2013-2014, and 40 on Isla Pájaros II in 2014 (Fernández et al. 2019, A. Simeone in litt. 2020).
The overall population size remains high ,with the Chilean population currently estimated to number 12,500 breeding pairs (with 95% on Choros Island; Fernández et al. 2019) and the Peruvian population tentatively thought to number at least 40,000 pairs (following observations of 36,450 breeding pairs on Isla La Vieja alone; C. Zavalaga in litt. 2010). This roughly equates to 52,500 pairs, rounded here to 50,000 pairs overall and converted to 100,000 mature individuals. The species's colonies are considered to be genetically isolated, with low migration rate due to its highly philopatric nature (Cristofari et al. 2019, A. Simeone et al. in litt. 2020).
Trend justification: The total population of the species in Chile is thought to have seen a continued increase since 1980 until at least 2013, where between 2010 and 2014, a 43% increase in breeding pairs were observed on Choros Island alone (Fernández et al. 2019). A contributing factor is likely to have been due to successful rabbit eradication programmes (C. Wolf and N. Holmes in litt. 2020). An eradication programme in 2013 is also thought to have led to an increase in the island's sub-colonies, from 28 in 2010 to 90 in 2018 (C. Wolf and N. Holmes in litt. 2020). Range re-expansion and local population growth has similarly been observed on many other Chilean islands, with sightings of non-breeding individuals in northern Peru and rapid growth on La Vieja Island, Peru, also recorded (Cristofari et al. 2019).
It is however worth nothing that the observed population on Choros Island declined slightly between 2013 and 2014, and is observed to have declined since then to 2019 (per Fernández et al. 2019, C. E. Fernández et al. in litt. 2020). Reasons for this decline are currently unknown and yet to be investigated (C. E. Fernández et al. in litt. 2020), and it is unclear whether they represented a fluctuation or a sustained decline. As such, it is untenable to currently use localised declines to define the current trend of the global population.
Similarly, whilst the species continues to be affected by a number of factors, including guano extraction and exploitation for food, predation by introduced rats and dogs on breeding islands, incidental bycatch at sea and increasing frequency of El Niño Southern Oscillation events, immense local conservation efforts have certainly led to a positive change on the overall breeding population (Fernández et al. 2019). Hence, whilst the potential overestimation of growth rates in historical data and changes in methodology possibly exaggerated trends (C. E. Fernández et al. in litt. 2020), the global population is tentatively thought to be slowly increasing. Due to a recent increase in the house mouse population on Isla La Vieja (C. E. Fernández et al. in litt. 2020) however, as well as observed declines on other breeding islands (such as Choros; Fernández et al. 2019, C. E. Fernández et al. in litt. 2020), population trends must continue to be carefully monitored. The global population may therefore be revised in the future if localised declines were to accelerate beyond population recovery.
Country/territory distribution
Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Peruvian Diving-petrel Pelecanoides garnotii. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/peruvian-diving-petrel-pelecanoides-garnotii on 22/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/11/2024.
