Procellaria westlandica (Westland Petrel) IUCN Status: Endangered Like so many pelagic birds, Westland petrels are almost identical to another species: White-chinned petrels. The tell is that Westland petrels have a black mark on top and the front of the bill. Spotting this difference on a relatively small bird, at a distance, on a moving boat, sounds hard, but becomes surprisingly easy with modest practice.
As always, having the chance to view these fantastic, yet endangered, birds is a privilege. It's telling that we don't even know how their population is trending, but a remote, perpetually moving life make them difficult to study.
