Seabirds

Seabirds are not easy to find in Perth! Most are found along the coast during Autumn to Spring in stormy weather. Strong north-westerly, westerly and south-westerly winds blow seabirds towards the coast in Perth. Good places to “sea watch” are North Mole, Woodman Point and Point Peron.

The images below are sea birds seen both at Perth’s coasts and generally in the south west of Australia. The majority of the photographs have been taken on pelagic birdwatching trips from Perth or Albany. These trips are organised a few times a year by volunteers of BirdLife Western Australia. Dates chosen are when sea birds are likely to be more abundant and when a suitable boat is available. Trips are often advertised to BirdLife WA members and on the facebook Seabirds and Pelagics Australia site. Pelagic trip reports based in Western Australia are often reported on Leeuwin Current Birding website.

Another option for seeing seabirds is to book on one of the whale-watching trips from Bremer Bay. These trips run almost daily from mid January to early April. While the boats don’t target seeing seabirds, you will see them while looking for Orca, Sperm Whale or Pilot Whales. Naturalist Charters run these whale watching trips and often have a guide on board who can sometimes identify sea birds seen.

Australsian Gannet (Morus serrator)
Australasian Gannets are the most common seabird in Perth.
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche carteri)
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross is seen on boat trips from Perth and the south west.
Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris)
Black-browed Albatross are uncommon on boat trips from Perth and the south west.
Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta)
Shy Albatross is best seen on pelagic boats trips or south coast.
Campbell's Albatross
Campbell’s Albatross is uncommonly seen on pelagic boats in the southwest.
Antipodean Albatross ssp gibsoni
Antipodean Albatross ssp gibsoni are uncommon on pelagics on the South Coast.
Grey-headed Albatross
Grey-headed Albatross are very rarely seen on pelagic boats from the south coast.
Southern Giant Petrel
Southern Giant-Petrel are rarely seen in Perth and uncommon on Pelagic trips.
Northern Giant Petrel
Northern Giant-Petrel have a brown bill tip as picture here.
Northern Giant-Petrel
Northern Giant-Petrel are rarely seen in Perth and rarely on pelagic boat trips.
Cape Petrel
Cape Petrel’s are usually seen on pelagic boat trips from Perth and the south coast
Soft-plumaged Petrel (Pterodroma mollis)
Soft-plumaged Petrels are seen on pelagic boat trips from Perth and the south west.
Great-winged petrel
Great-winged Petrels are usually seen on pelagic boats in Perth and the south-west.
Flesh-footed Shearwater (Ardenna cardeipes)
Flesh-footed Shearwater is a common on coasts in Perth & the southwest.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Wedge-tailed Shearwaters are often seen sea watching in Perth.
Wilson's Storm Petrel
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel can be seen in Perth sea watching in Winter.
White-faced Storm-Petrel
White-faced Storm-Petrel is usually only seen at sea on pelagic boats.
Black-bellied Storm-Petrel (Fregetta tropica)
Black-bellied Storm-Petrel is seen in Autumn boat trips from Albany.
Brown Skua
Brown Skua are uncommon on Perth’s coasts and often seen on pelagic trips.
Artic Jaeger
Artic Jaeger are a common winter visitor to Perth’s coast.
Pomarine Jaeger
Pomarine Jaeger are an uncommon winter visitor to Perth’s coast.
Long-tailed Jaeger
Long tailed-Jaeger are an uncommon winter visitor to coasts of Perth and the south west.
Indian yellow-nosed Albatross and Black-browed Albatross
Indian Yellow-nosed and a Black-browed Albatross on a Perth Pelagic.