 A good fossil record shows that the black-winged petrel ( Pterodroma nigripennis ) was not part of the original seabird fauna of Norfolk Island. Its place was taken by a bird, now extinct, very like Pycroft's petrel ( Pterodroma pycrofti ) of northern New Zealand. In the second half of the 20th century, black-winged petrels started to colonise new areas across the Southwest Pacific, including Norfolk Island, where it is now a common breeder on Phillip Island and increasing on the main island when protected from cat predation. 