[3] Grey-faced petrels are large birds, with a body length of 42–45 cm and weighing on average 550 grams (19 oz).

[5] Colonies are largely found on offshore islands, although small remnant populations exist on the mainland at several sites, and birds are successfully breeding in areas with sufficient control of invasive mammalian predators such as rats, cats, and stoats.

[6] Outside of the breeding season, individuals range over the subtropical southwest Pacific Ocean, including Australia and Norfolk Island, keeping mainly in the area between 25 and 50 degrees south.

[1] The first grey-faced petrels begin returning to the colonies from mid-March but most birds don't start cleaning out their breeding burrows until April.

The breeding pair then depart on a pre-laying exodus that ranges from 50 to 70 days for females as they form their large single egg.

[10] One of the largest threats to grey-faced petrels is at breeding grounds, where they are predated on by introduced mammals such as Norway rats.

[12] In the middle of the 20th century, a rāhui (ban) on harvesting was put in place by these iwi due to declining population numbers.