This storm-petrel breeds on rocky sites and uses surrounding marine waters. The 2018 IUCN assessment treated the Cape Verde population, while a 2026 study described the São Tomé population as a subspecies of Hydrobates jabejabe.
The 2018 assessment describes the Cape Verde population as having glossy dark head and back plumage and a white rump band. The 2026 paper reports an extremely narrow white rump band in many São Tomé birds.
The 2018 assessment classifies the Cape Verde population as migratory and lists rocky breeding habitat alongside coastal, offshore, and oceanic marine habitats. The 2026 paper infers high-elevation tropical forest as a possible breeding habitat for the São Tomé population, but no nest has been confirmed.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.