Derivation
Pter-o'-drom'-a - Gk, pteron, wing; Gk, dromos, race, running: cervicalis - L., cervix, nape, back of the neck, referring to the striking white nape
American Samoa (NB), Australia (NB), Cook Islands (NB), Eastern Central Pacific (NB), French Polynesia (NB), Guam (NB), Japan (NB), Mexico (NB), Micronesia [Federated States of] (NB), New Caledonia (NB), New Zealand (B), Niue (NB), Norfolk Island (B), Northeast Pacific (NB), Northern Mariana Islands (NB), Northwest Pacific (NB), Southeast Pacific (NB), Southwest Pacific (B) (NB), United States Minor Outlying Islands (NB), USA (NB), Wallis and Futuna Islands (NB), Western Central Pacific (B) (NB).
Voice
Very noisy at nesting colonies. A rapid 'te-te-te..' or 'ka-ka-ka' and 'kukooowik-ka-ka-ka' repeated uttered in flight. Varients also given in flight and on the ground. Silent at sea.
Eggs (Guide)
1; smooth, white; oval; about 64 - 68 x 45 - 48 mm.
Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 100 - 115 days.
Subspecies
Pterodroma cervicalis (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993, Brooks 2004) was split into White-necked Petrel (Pterodroma cervicalis) and Vanuatu Petrel (Pterodroma occulta) by Imber and Tennyson (2001) and Christidis and Boles (2008), largely on the basis of the latter's smaller size and relatively longer tail, but this treatment is not followed by the BirdLife Taxonomic Working Group because athough there are a few other minor plumage differences, occulta is not known to differ vocally or in the timing of its breeding season from cervicalis, and it is therefore felt premature to accord occulta specific status.
Sometimes considered conspecific with Juan Fernandez Petrel (Pterodroma externa). Has been considered subspecies of Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata). Birds collected east of Vanuatu, south-western Pacific, may represent undescribed subspecies.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
BirdLife International Species Factsheet