Procellaria leucoptera Gould, 1844 Rhantistes velox Bonaparte, 1856 (nomen novum) Cookilaria cookii byroni Mathews, 1916 Pterodroma cookii masafuerae Lönnberg, 1920 Gould's petrel (Pterodroma leucoptera) is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae.

[4] Gould's petrel has long narrow wings, a short rounded tail and the head is noticeably dark, with a white forehead and face.

The other subspecies (P. l. caledonica) breeds on New Caledonia and differs from the nominate subspecies in being slightly larger in morphological measurements, and having a more robust bill, paler back and sides of the breast, reduced pigmentation on the underside of the wing, and a white or mainly white inner vane of the outer rectrix [6] Some authorities regard the collared petrel (P. brevipes) as another subspecies of Gould's petrel and some raise the New Caledonian petrel to species status and regard the three taxa as a superspecies.

[12] Prior to the 1990s it was thought that the Australian subspecies of Gould's petrel bred only on Cabbage Tree Island off Port Stephens in New South Wales.

[15] Both subspecies forage in the Tasman Sea during the breeding season and may venture as far west as the Indian Ocean south of south-western Western Australia before laying.

[16] Gould's petrels (of unknown subspecies) were sighted in December 1994 in waters south of Western Australia.

[21] On Cabbage Tree Island, birds arrive in mid-October to secure their nest site and reunite with their mate.

[27] Research revealed that the major problems threatening processes were (a) sticky fruit of the birdlime tree (Pisonia umbellifera) which immobilised birds; (b) predation by pied currawongs (Strepera graculina) [28] and (c) habitat degradation caused by grazing of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

[30] Removal of Pisonia umbellifera seedlings within the breeding colonies and culling of pied currawongs is undertaken periodically.

[31] Having just one population was deemed an unacceptable risk, so nest boxes were developed and chicks were translocated to nearby Boondelbah Island.

Gould's petrels breed less synchronously than many other seabirds: each stage of egg-laying, hatching and fledging takes place over a period of 6–7 weeks.

Scientists had to determine the optimum time to translocate chicks: young enough so that they had not yet imprinted on their natal site but old enough to maximise survival in the absence of parental care.

[35] The main threats to the nominate subspecies are the introduction of feral predators (cats (Felis catus), black rats (Rattus rattus), foxes (Vulpes vulpes) or dogs (Canus familiaris)) or wild fire, particularly in December when birds are incubating.

Introduced pigs (Sus scrofa) dig up burrows and black rats prey on birds and eggs.

[37] Threats to Gould's petrels at sea are unknown; though they are not known to be affected directly by long-line fishing operations.