While our studies in Hawai’i focus on whales and dolphins, we have been attempting to photograph rare or uncommon species of seabirds since about 2003, and for most field projects we tally all seabird sightings. Over the years we’ve taken over 15,000 photos of seabirds. For many years all of our seabird photos were sent to Peter Pyle of the Institute for Bird Populations for identification, and many have been included in the online Birds of the Hawaiian Islands. Unusual sightings and photographs have been reported in the quarterly reports of North American Birds, and are also contributed to local birding communities through social media. We’ve co-authored two papers with Peter on seabirds in Hawai‘i, one on Dark-rumped Petrels (Pterodroma phaeopygia/sandwichensis) and one on white-rumped dark storm petrels (i.e., Leach’s and Band-rumped Storm Petrels) in Hawaiian waters – copies can be downloaded below. As well as an important opportunity to document the seabird community in Hawai‘i, we also record information on seabirds interactions with various species of whales and dolphins. We’ve worked off Kona every year from 2002 through 2026, and off Kaua‘i in 16 different years between 2003 and 2025, so our ability to assess seabird seasonality and presence around the islands is greatest for those two areas, but we’ve also worked off Maui Nui in 11 different years (between 2000 and 2025) and off O‘ahu in seven different years (between 2002 and 2025), so have some information on seabirds off those areas. We present below photographs of most species of seabirds we have documented in Hawaiian waters.
For more information contact Robin W. Baird at rwbaird (at) cascadiaresearch.org or see our Hawai‘i odontocete research page
The species we’ve documented in Hawai’i are listed below (English names followed by Hawaiian names, when available) – click on a name for photos of each species (we are still adding some species) – all photos are taken in Hawaiian waters:
Black-footed Albatross – Ka‘upu (Phoebastria nigripes)
We’ve seen Black-footed Albatross off Kaua‘i, Lāna‘i, and Hawai‘i Islands, between the months of December and May, and see them every year when we have regular effort in the winter. The most we’ve ever seen in one day was 201 birds, seen off Kaua‘i on February 16, 2015. The large number seen that day was due to finding two dead whales that the albatross were feeding on – check out our project page for that effort for more photos.
Laysan Albatross – Mōlī (Phoebastria immutabilis)
We’ve seen Laysan Albatross off Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Lāna‘i, and Hawai‘i Islands, with sightings in eight different months of the year (October and November, and January through June), and like Black-footed Albatross, see them every winter we have considerable research effort. The largest number we’ve seen in a day was 76, off the island of Kaua‘i on February 16, 2015, with many associated with the two dead whales found that day.
Northern Fulmar – (Fulmarus glacialis)
We’ve only documented one Northern Fulmar in all of our work, off Kona on November 21, 2004.
Hawaiian Petrel – ʻUaʻu (Pterodroma sandwichensis)
We’ve seen Hawaiian Petrels off Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, and Hawai‘i Island, with sightings in 10 months of the year (all except February and March). The largest number we’ve seen in one day was 25 individuals, see off Hawai‘i Island on August 28, 2020.
White-necked Petrel – (Pterodroma cervicalis)
We’ve seen White-necked Petrels only off Lāna‘i and Hawai‘i Islands, with sightings from October through January, one sighting each in April and May, and two sightings in July. The largest number we’ve seen in a day was eight individuals, seen off Hawai‘i Island on November 16, 2014.
Kermadec Petrel – (Pterodroma neglecta)
We’ve encountered Kermadec Petrels in February 2015 off Kaua‘i, July 2016, October 2009, November 2014, and December (2008 and 2009), all off Hawai‘i Island.
Murphy’s Petrel – (Pterodroma ultima)
We’ve only obtained confirmed photos of Murphy’s Petrels on two occasions, both off Kona (on 20 December 2009 and 18 October 2010), but we’ve had photos that were probably Murphy’s Petrels on a number of other occasions off Kona (Sep 2004, December 2006, October 2009, December 2009, and October 2014).
Juan Fernandez Petrel – (Pterodroma externa)
We’ve encountered Juan Fernandez Petrels in four different months of the year (May, July, October, and November)
Mottled Petrel – (Pterodroma inexpectata)
Cook’s Petrel – (Pterodroma cookii)
We’ve only photographed Cook’s Petrels on two occasions, in November 2015 and October 2017, both off Hawai‘i Island.
Black-winged Petrel – (Pterodroma nigripennis)
Black-winged Petrels are our most frequently seen petrel off Hawai‘i Island in the fall (October-December), but we have also photographed them once off Kaua‘i (in February 2016) and off Lāna‘i (in March 2017).
Stejneger’s Petrel – (Pterodroma longirostris)
We’ve seen Stejneger’s Petrel in five different years, in May 2008, May 2013, November 2014, November 2015, and October 2017, all off of Kona.
Bonin’s Petrel – (Pterodroma hypoleuca)
We’ve only seen Bonin’s Petrel on only a single occasion, 12 February 2015, off Kaua‘i.
Bulwer’s Petrel – ʻOu (Bulweria bulwerii)
Bulwer’s Petrels can be relatively common in the summer, with almost all our sightings between April and July. We’ve seen them just a few times outside that window, a few times in August, and just once in March and once in October. The most we’ve ever seen in one day was 69 off Lāna‘i in July 2024.
Tahiti Petrel – (Pseudobulweria rostrata)
We’ve seen Tahiti Petrel’s twice in all of our work, once off Kona on 14 November 2014, and once off Lāna‘i on 6 March 2017.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater – ʻUaʻu kani (Ardenna pacifica)
Wedge-tailed Shearwaters are by far the most frequently seen seabird in our work. Most days we see from a few to a few dozen, but occasionally we see up to hundreds of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters in a day. That said, they are very rare in mid-winter – we’ve had many days of effort off Kaua‘i in the month of February, and during some of those projects we’ve see no Wedge-tailed Shearwaters.
Sooty Shearwater – (Ardenna grisea)
We see Sooty Shearwaters migrating north early in the year (March-May) and south late in the year (September-December), sometimes in large numbers and almost always flying fast and in groups.
Buller’s Shearwater – (Ardenna bulleri)
Prior to our June 2026 Kona field project we’d only photographed Buller’s Shearwaters on 10 different days over the years, in October 2009, April 2010, May 2012, June 2012, August 2012, May 2014, and October 2017. In June 2026 we had Buller’s Shearwaters on multiple days. All of our confirmed sightings of this species have been off Kona.
Short-tailed Shearwater – (Ardenna tenuirostris)
Short-tailed Shearwaters can be difficult to discriminate from Sooty Shearwaters, but we have photographed small numbers of Short-tailed Shearwaters primarily in the fall (November, December) migrating south.
Flesh-footed Shearwater – (Ardenna carneipes)
We’ve only documented a Flesh-footed Shearwater on a single occasion, off Kona on October 21, 2024.
Streaked Shearwater – (Calonectris leucomelas)
We’ve only encountered a Streaked Shearwater on a single occasion, on May 31, 2026. This appears to be only the third record in the main Hawaiian Islands.
Newell’s Shearwater – ʻAʻo (Puffinus newelli)
Newell’s Shearwaters are endemic to Hawai’i and are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. We have seen Newell’s every month from March through November, with peak numbers in mid-summer. We usually see them in very small numbers, just one or two individuals at a time and usually just one or two a day. The most we have ever seen in one day was 20 individuals, seen off Kaua‘i in August 2023.
Christmas Shearwater – (Puffinus nativitatis)
We’ve only had one confirmed sighting of a Christmas Shearwater, off Kona in November 2025. this species breeds on Lehua, a small island off the north tip of Ni‘ihau, so we’ve likely seen them more often but just mistaken them for dark-morph Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. The photos above were taken in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Leach’s Storm Petrel – (Hydrobates laucorhoa)
Leach’s Storm Petrels are very difficult to discriminate from Band-rumped Storm Petrels. Based on photographic identifications confirmed by Peter Pyle, we’ve documented Leach’s Storm Petrels only between the months of October and May , with peaks in sightings in April and November.
Ainley’s Storm Petrel – (Hydrobates cheimomnestes)
Ainley’s Storm Petrel is a recent split from Leach’s Storm Petrel. Ainley’s breeds off Mexico, and one way they can potentially be discriminated from Leach’s is by the timing of the molt, since they breed at a different time of year. This bird was seen in May 2012, and based on the molt has tentatively been identified as an Ainley’s Storm Petrel.
Tristram’s Storm Petrel – ʻakihikeʻehiʻale (Hydrobates tristrami)
We’ve only documented Tristram’s Storm Petrel off Kaua’i, once on 16 February 2015 with a number of birds associated with two different whale carcasses floating off the north shore of Kaua’i, and twice in February 2020.
Black Storm Petrel – (Hydrobates melania)
We’ve documented one Black Storm Petrel, on November 12, 2025, off Hawai’i Island. This is the first record of this species in Hawaiian waters.
Band-rumped Storm Petrel – ʻAkēʻakē (Thalobata castro)
Band-rumped Storm Petrels are an endangered endemic population. We’ve documented this species off both Hawai‘i Island and Kaua’i. While we’ve had confirmed sightings (based on photographs) from April through November, most sightings we’ve had of this species have been in July and August. The most we’ve seen in one day was an estimated 80 individuals off Kaua‘i in August 2023.
Red-footed Booby –ʻĀ (Sula sula)
The Red-footed Booby is found around the main Hawaiian Islands year-round. Off most islands we typically only see one or two a day, at most, off Kaua‘i during the summer we often see dozens in a day (and occasionally over a hundred).
Brown Booby – ʻĀ (Sula leucogaster)
The Brown Booby is also found year-round around the islands. There is a second species, recently split from the Brown Booby, called the Cocos Booby – we have seen female Cocos Boobies but very rarely males.
Masked Booby – ʻĀ (Sula dactylatra)
Masked Boobies are relatively uncommon – we’ve seen them in eight different months of the year but usually just one or at most two individuals in a day.
Nazca Booby – (Sula granti)
Nazca Boobies are relatively rare in Hawaiian waters – this bird was photographed off Kona 9 November 2015. We’ve also seen them off Kona in September and October 2023
Great Frigatebird – ʻIwa (Fregata minor)
Great Frigatebirds are found year-round in Hawaiian waters. This species is occasionally associated with rough-toothed dolphins or pantropical spotted dolphins. Most days we might see just one or two Great Frigatebirds, but in June 2026 we had 31 one day, including 20 in one large aggregation (associated with pantropical spotted dolphins).
Red-tailed Tropicbird – Koaʻe ʻula (Phaethon rubricauda)
White-tailed Tropicbird – Koaʻe kea (Phaethon lepturus)
Red Phalarope – (Phalaropus fulicarius)
Red Phalaropes are often seen associated with current lines during their migration through Hawai’i. We have seen Red Phalaropes primarily in the spring (February, March, April, May), with occasional sightings in December.
Long-tailed Jaeger – (Stercorarius longicaudus)
We’ve seen Long-tailed Jaegers both in spring (April 2008, May 2011, April 2015) and in late fall (December 2008, December 2009, November 2015).
Parasitic Jaeger – (Stercorarius parasiticus)
We’ve photographed Parasitic Jaegers off Hawai‘i Island in October 2010, November 2014 and November 2015, but none of the photos are particularly good.
Pomarine Jaeger – (Stercorarius pomarinus)
We’ve documented Pomarine Jaegers about a dozen times, with sightings in April, May, July, October, November, and December.
South Polar Skua – (Stercorarius maccormicki)
We’ve photographed South Polar Skuas in August 2007, July 2008, October 2009, and July 2011, 2013 and 2014. The largest group was three individuals sitting together off Kaua‘i in July 2011.
Arctic Tern – (Sterna paradisaea)
All of our sightings of Arctic Terns have been off Hawai’i Island, and all have been in either April (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015) or May (2009).
Gray-backed Tern – Pākalakala (Onychoprion lunatus)
Gray-backed Tern sightings are rare around the main Hawaiian Islands, but we’ve documented them both off Kaua’i (in August 2023) and O’ahu (in June 2025).
Sooty Tern – ʻEwaʻewa (Onychoprion fuscatus)
Sooty Terns are the most abundant breeding seabird in the Hawaiian archipelago, but breed primarily in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. We’ve documented them year-round, typically in small numbers and offshore.
Bridled Tern – (Onychoprion anaethetus)
We’ve only documented Bridled Terns on a couple of occasions, including off Kaua’i (in September 2015) and off O’ahu (in June 2025).
Blue-billed White-Tern – Manu o Kū (Gygis candida)
Blue-billed White-Terns appear to be becoming more common around the main Hawaiian Islands. While they breed on O‘ahu, we’ve documented them in recent years off Kaua‘i and sightings off Hawai‘i Island and Lāna‘i are increasing.
Least Tern – (Sternula antillarum)
We’ve only documented a Least Tern on one occasion, on July 19, 2010, offshore of Kona.
Brown Noddy – Noio kōhā (Anous stolidus)
Brown Noddies are more common offshore than Black Noddies, and seem to be particularly inclined to sit on floating debris.
Black Noddy – Noio (Anous minutus)
Black Noddies can be quite common in some nearshore areas and breed around most of the main Hawaiian Islands.
Blue-gray Noddy – Manuohina (Procelsterna cerulea)
We’ve seen Blue-gray Noddies twice in our work, once off Hawai‘i Island (in December 2010) and once off Lāna‘i (in December 2020). These were the first records for Hawai‘i and Maui counties, respectively.
Laughing Gull – (Leucophaeus atricilla)
We’ve seen Laughing Gulls in November 2006, December 2008 and 2009, April 2010, December 2010, May 2012, February 2014, and May 2021.
Franklin’s Gull – (Leucophaeus pipixcan)
We’ve only seen Franklin’s Gulls twice, once in August 2007 off Kona and once in June 2008 off Kaua’i.
Glaucous-winged Gull – (Larus glaucescens)
We’ve seen one Glaucous-winged Gull, a juvenile on 21 November 2004, off of Kona.
Some regional reports from North American Birds that include sightings and/or photographs from our surveys
- Winter 2020/2021
- Spring 2010
- Winter 2009/2010
- Winter 2008/2009
- Summer 2008
- Spring 2008
- Fall 2007
- Spring 2006
- Fall 2005
Lerma, J.K., D.L. Webster, R.W. Baird, and P. Pyle. 2022. 17-years of sightings of seabirds during small-boat surveys for cetaceans around the southeast Hawaiian Islands. Talk presented at the Pacific Seabird Group, 2022 meeting. See video below.
Pyle, P., D.L. Webster and R.W. Baird. 2016. White-rumped dark storm-petrels in Hawaiian Island waters – the quandary of Leach’s vs. Band-rumped storm petrels throughout the world. Birding 47(1):54-57. Download PDF copy
Pyle, P., D.L. Webster and R.W. Baird. 2011. Notes on petrels of the dark-rumped petrel complex (Pterodroma phaeopygia/sandwichensis) in Hawaiian waters. North American Birds 65(2):364-367. Download PDF copy
Walker, W.A., R.W. Baird, D.L. Webster, J.M. Aschettino, G.S. Schorr, D.J. McSweeney and S. Fitzgerald. 2013. Diurnal occurrence of dead mesopelagic fish and squid at the sea surface and their importance as a previously unrecognized predictable food resource for oceanic marine birds. Poster presented at the Pacific Seabird Group 40th Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon. Download PDF copy
Want to learn the Hawaiian names of breeding seabirds around the islands? We’ve made up a handout (link here to a pdf version) that includes both English and Hawaiian names of the 16 most common breeding species in the main Hawaiian Islands.