The Galapagos Petrel

The Galapagos petrel is a seabird few visitors get to see, but that may soon change.

With nesting activity recently confirmed on our property (June 2025), guests at Galapagos Safari Camp may soon have the rare opportunity to hear, and perhaps even observe, this elusive species up close.

Galapagos petrels spend the first five to six years of their lives entirely at sea, riding ocean winds and feeding on squid and small fish. Thereafter, they return to the islands just once a year, and under the cover of night, to breed.

Unlike many birds, Galapagos petrels don’t build open nests. Instead, they dig burrows into the earth, ending in a chamber where they lay a single egg each season. Both parents share incubation and feeding duties until their chick is ready to fledge. Such nests have been found in the highlands of five islands in the Galapagos: San Cristóbal, Floreana, Santiago, Isabela, and our home island of Santa Cruz.

Once grouped with the Hawaiian Petrel and known as the “Dark-rumped Petrel,” the Galapagos petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) was recognised as a distinct species by the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) in 2002, following genetic, vocal, and behavioural studies including Browne et al. (1997).

The Galapagos petrel retained the name Pterodroma phaeopygia, while its Hawaiian counterpart was reclassified as Pterodroma sandwichensis.

Petrels on different islands show slight differences in seasonal timings and behaviour, which some scientists are studying for potential future taxonomic significance.

Note: Some older sources refer to the Galapagos Petrel as Pterodroma galapagensis. However, the currently accepted scientific name is Pterodroma phaeopygia, as recognized by the IUCN, and other leading taxonomic authorities.

Galapagos petrels aren’t just fascinating because they’re rare. They play a vital role in island ecology by transporting nutrients from the ocean back to the highlands through their guano, enriching the soil and supporting native plant life. Like giant tortoises, which move nutrients between terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, petrels help connect two very different worlds, bringing marine nutrients onto land. As indicators of ocean health, the presence of petrels tells us something much larger about the condition of the Galapagos ecosystem as a whole.

“The species closest to extinction are often the ones holding entire ecosystems together.”
— Leonardo DiCaprio, co-founder of Re:wild and a founding partner of the Phoenix Species Project

The Galapagos Petrel is one of 100 critically endangered species selected for the Phoenix Species Project, a global initiative to help recover the world’s most threatened wildlife through long-term conservation partnerships.

Listed as critically endangered, the Galapagos petrel is threatened by habitat loss, introduced predators, invasive species, and light pollution (petrels can become disoriented by artificial lights, increasing mortality).

In the 1970s, only six nests were recorded in Santa Cruz’s main colony at Media Luna and Cerro Crocker, with no chicks successfully fledged due to heavy predation by introduced rats. At the time, the species was feared to be on the brink of extinction.

Today, there are more than seven hundred nests in the Media Luna colony and surrounding sites in the highlands of Santa Cruz. It’s a remarkable recovery and a testament to what decades of dedicated conservation can achieve.

And yet, it is still not enough to upgrade their status from ‘Critically Endangered’. While the Galapagos National Park continues to protect the petrels within the park boundaries, many nests are located on private land, beyond the Park’s direct control.

To address this, conservation biologist Carolina Proaño launched the Galapagos Petrel Project, an initiative focused on education, research, and collaboration with landowners.

Their work includes year-round burrow surveys, predator control, the construction of stable artificial nest burrows, and close cooperation with highland farmers, where many nesting sites are found. By raising awareness and supporting landowners in taking action, the Galapagos Petrel Project extends safe habitat beyond the boundaries of the National Park.

We are proud to share that this work is now underway at Galapagos Safari Camp.

In recent years, a small number of Galapagos Petrel nests have been identified within the grounds of Galapagos Safari Camp, a promising sign that the land we’ve been restoring from a former cattle farm is becoming rewilded once again.

The discovery was made by Carolina and her team at the Galapagos Petrel Project, who confirmed the presence of burrows perched on a rocky ledge overlooking our water reservoir. These nests lie quietly in wait for their seasonal residents, expected any day (June 2025). After last year’s challenging conditions caused by El Niño, this season is already showing early signs of a stronger turnout, raising hopes for a successful breeding year.

Petrels are highly social birds. When they arrive at a colony they call out to their partners to find each other. This courtship is vital to their reproductive success and the overall health of the population. But when nests are lost or colonies disrupted, these calls can go unanswered, making reunion, and reproduction, much less likely.

To give the birds the best chance of reclaiming these burrows, Carolina and her team are using an audio attraction system that plays recordings of petrel social calls, mimicking the natural sounds of an active colony. Recently upgraded with automated technology from New Zealand, the system is designed to increase the likelihood that returning birds will settle and breed in safe, monitored areas; possibly even in the very nests they or their parents used decades ago.

This method builds on successful restoration efforts from around the world. Research on seabird species such as Cory’s Shearwaters and Leach’s Storm-Petrels has shown that sound attraction systems, especially when used in acoustically favorable environments like rocky slopes or ledges, can successfully encourage colony establishment and help mates reunite in the dark. Similar techniques have been used effectively in New Zealand and the Azores, enabling seabirds to recolonize protected or restored habitats.

Because Galapagos Petrels mature slowly, spending their first five to six years at sea, their long lifespan of 30-40 years helps balance their low reproductive rate (typically just one chick per year, if successful). Galapagos Petrels mate for life.

Highlands Location

Existing conditions at Galapagos Safari Camp appear to support the petrels’ return. Its highland location on the edge of the National Park provides dense native vegetation, soft volcanic soil, and natural seclusion—far from busy roads, towns, and potential sources of disturbance— creating ideal conditions for nesting.

The burrows themselves are situated on an elevated ledge overlooking miles of protected land and ocean, offering not only seclusion but also a natural launch pad for the birds as they take to the skies.

Good acoustics

Carolina’s research has also suggested that petrels may be drawn to landscapes with natural acoustic resonance, such as rocky slopes or ledges, where their calls echo and amplify, assisting them in locating mates and burrows in the dark.

Artificial Petrel Nests

A few of the nests have been artificially created to offer safer, predator-resistant nesting sites. This approach is inspired by successful conservation work with other petrel species in Hawaii, New Zealand and Bermuda. Although predators remain the primary threat in the Galapagos (rather than storms or hurricanes), the Galapagos Petrel Project has drawn valuable insights from these international efforts.

Minimal Light, Noise and Predators

The Camp’s dark-sky lighting also helps prevent disorientation in these nocturnal birds, while its quiet, remote surroundings minimise noise pollution. We also continue to manage introduced predators and invasive plant species on our property to maintain a safe environment for the nesting petrels.

The petrel nesting season on Santa Cruz typically begins in May, with courtship and attraction activity lasting for about a month, and well into June. During this period, birds return to land under the cover of darkness, and some continue searching for nesting sites throughout the season. A single egg hatches after 50 days and fledging takes around 100-120 days.

Timings vary between islands and years.

As this phase of the project is still delicate, we’re not arranging site visits at this time. Exceptions may be considered for dedicated bird enthusiasts, subject to Carolina’s guidance. In the meantime, all guests will have the opportunity to observe the nests and (hopefully!) their occupants up close via a live-stream camera, which we plan to install in their burrows in the coming weeks.

Perhaps only faintly, no more than you would hear any other nocturnal wildlife. The audio system used to attract returning petrels is placed on the far side of the perimeter wall, specifically to ensure it does not disturb guests.

Listen to the calls of Galapagos Petrels:

One simple and impactful way of supporting Carolina’s petrel conservation work is by purchasing items from the Precious Plastics Galapagos collection, available in our boutique shop. Also founded by Carolina, this initiative transforms plastic waste collected across the Galapagos into handcrafted souvenirs.

Plastic ingestion is a serious threat to many seabirds, including petrels, with both macro and microplastics frequently found in their stomachs, causing internal injuries, blockages, and reduced survival rates.

By choosing one of these recycled pieces, you’re also helping remove plastic from the islands and directly supporting petrel conservation, not just the project at Galapagos Safari Camp but across multiple nesting sites in the archipelago.

Precious Plastics in the Galapagos

Learn more about Precious Plastics in this short video and how it supports the conservation work of the Galapagos Petrel Project.

October 2025

This season has brought some encouraging signs. Carolina identified traces of petrel activity near the nesting burrows at Camp, including feathers and droppings. Although our motion-triggered camera hasn’t captured definitive footage yet, the evidence on the ground suggests that petrels may have returned, but simply avoided the camera’s field of view.

No successful nestings have been confirmed so far, but as Carolina explains, this is not unusual during the first year of an acoustic attraction program. It often takes multiple seasons for birds to fully commit to new or restored nesting sites.

Next steps:

• The acoustic playback system will continue running through the end of the breeding season (December), to support further attraction.
• Given a spike in rat populations across the island this year, we’ll maintain our regular predator management efforts.
• We’ll continue practicing dark sky conservation on our grounds to minimize light pollution and reduce risks to nocturnal species like the Galapagos Petrel.

November 2025

We’re excited to share that in mid-November, a Galapagos Petrel was seen and photographed by a member of staff at Camp. This is our first confirmed visual sighting since conservation efforts began at Camp.

The bird was seen near the nesting area after dark, although it appeared slightly immobile which led our team to contact Carolina Proaño to assess the situation the next morning.

By the time Carolina arrived, the petrel had gone. A careful inspection of the site revealed no signs of injury or predation, and everything pointed to a healthy departure.

With the breeding season drawing to a close, this fleeting visit is a very promising sign. The simple fact that a petrel returned and touched down on our land is exactly what we’ve been working towards, providing evidence that this former cattle farm is being recognised again as potential nesting habitat.

We’ll continue to monitor the site and update you on any new developments as they unfold.

We look forward to welcoming guests who are keen to witness this Galapagos story unfold alongside us.

OUR SAFARIS

The Galapagos Petrel project is carried out in collaboration with San Francisco University of Quito, and with financial support from the American Bird Conservancy.