### Identification Barau’s Petrel is a medium-sized "gadfly" petrel, possessing the quintessential aerodynamic build of a high-seas wanderer. It is best identified by its strikingly clean aesthetic: a bright white forehead that contrasts sharply against a dark, brownish-black cap. Its upperparts are a sophisticated steely grey-brown, marked by a bold, dark "M" pattern across the wings—a feature shared with some relatives, but Barau’s stands out with its brilliant, snow-white underparts. Unlike the similar Soft-plumaged Petrel, Barau’s lacks a dark breast band and features underwings that are almost entirely white, save for a narrow, crisp dark margin. In flight, look for its compact, robust body and long, pointed wings.
### Habitat & Range This species is a localized treasure of the Indian Ocean. It is an endemic breeder on Réunion Island, where it chooses surprisingly rugged, high-altitude terrain. While most seabirds stay near the shore, Barau’s Petrel travels inland to the island's volcanic peaks, nesting in subalpine scrub and sheer cliffs at elevations between 2,000 and 2,800 meters. Outside the breeding season, they are truly pelagic, migrating across the tropical Indian Ocean toward the waters of Indonesia and Western Australia.
### Behaviour In the field, you’ll witness the spectacular "gadfly" flight style: a series of high-speed, erratic arcs and steep glides that slice through the wind. They are master aeronauts. To avoid the predatory gaze of Reunion Harriers, they are strictly nocturnal at their nesting sites, returning to their mountain burrows only under the cover of darkness. Their social life is centered around these high-altitude colonies, where they engage in haunting, nocturnal vocalizations that echo off the volcanic caldera.
### Diet Barau’s Petrels are specialist hunters of the open sea. They feed primarily on squid and small fish, utilizing a technique known as "surface-seizing"—dropping onto the water to grab prey just below the film. They are often seen following schools of tuna or pods of dolphins, which act as "beaters," driving smaller prey toward the surface where the petrels can easily snatch them.
### Fascinating Fact Despite having a population of thousands, Barau’s Petrel was one of the last major seabird species in the world to be discovered by science. It remained completely unknown to ornithologists until 1964, hidden in plain sight by its remote, high-altitude nesting habits!