Breed on six small islets off Del Norte and Humboldt counties. Diet not well known. Obtains all food at sea. Nests in burrows and rock cavities. Nests in burrows, natural cavities, or rock crevices on islands.
Specialized glands excrete salt through nostrils.
For nesting, prefers offshore islands. Nocturnal at the breeding colonies. Nesting pairs enter and leave nest only at night. Presumably sleep in burrow or on water at sea. As with other storm-petrels, both sexes incubate and feed the young.