The black petrel was formally described in 1862 by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in a list of birds from New Zealand.

Breeding is now restricted to the main colony on Great Barrier Island (c. 5000 birds over summer, including approximately 1300 breeding pairs and 1000 "pre-breeders" seeking mates)[8] and a small colony of c. 250 birds on Little Barrier Island.

[11][10] Birds forage much closer to the Hauraki Gulf over the summer and autumn while incubating an egg and raising a chick – mainly in the Tasman Sea and to the north-east of New Zealand.

[8] Pairs then depart on "honeymoon", returning to the colony again in late November when the females lay a single egg.

[8] At about four years old, pre-breeding birds will fly back to the colony to find a mate, which may take one or two seasons.

[13] Birds will aggressively follow fishing boats and longline hooks and may dive up to 20m below the surface after baits.

[13] Black petrels can cover amazing distances – the longest recorded foraging trip for a bird from Great Barrier Island is 39 days.

[15][16][17] Ministry of Fisheries research shows the black petrel is the most at-risk seabird in New Zealand from commercial fishing, estimating that between 725 and 1524 birds may have been killed each year in the period 2003 to 2009.

Cat numbers on Great Barrier Island are impacted by trapping by the Department of Conservation in the Whangapoua basin but there has been no specific protection of the colony to date.

Risk to black petrel survival from a one-off event/events is significant due to limited habitat for breeding / i.e. a single site on Hirakimata on Great Barrier Island (for example fire, storm damage or predator invasion at main colony).