This small seabird uses the cool waters off California. It feeds close to the sea surface and breeds on islands from central California to northern Baja.
Its plumage is all dark but has a brown or gray tinge rather than being pitch black. It flies just above the waves with shallow wingbeats.
In summer, it feeds near the surface over cool California Current waters, mostly just off the continental shelf. It nests in crevices on rocky islands.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.