About Pterodroma sandwichensis (Ridgway, 1884)
Scientific Name and Common Names
Pterodroma sandwichensis, commonly known as the Hawaiian petrel or ʻuaʻu, is a large petrel with dark grey-brown and white plumage that is endemic to Hawaiʻi.
Historical Distribution
The Hawaiian petrel was historically found on all of the main Hawaiian Islands except Niʻihau.
Current Hawaiian Distribution
Today, it is mostly restricted to Haleakalā crater on Maui, with smaller populations present on Mauna Loa (the island of Hawaiʻi), Waimea Canyon (the island of Kauaʻi), and Lānaʻihale (Lānaʻi); it may also occur on Molokaʻi.
Previous Taxonomic Classification
This species was formerly grouped together with a very similar species native to the Galapagos Islands.
First Inland North America Record
In 2013, a specimen of this species was collected in Arizona near the Colorado River, representing the first recorded record of this species in inland North America.
2023 Oregon Sighting
On August 7, 2023, a Hawaiian petrel was sighted near Cape Arago, close to Coos County, Oregon.
Mainland U.S. Sighting History
This is not the first recorded occurrence of the species in Oregon, and there are also recorded sightings of the species from California.
