This marine species apparently occurs mainly offshore, but may move inshore during stormy weather. Its diet is comprised mostly of crustaceans (especially krill), but occasionally includes some fish and squid. It feeds mainly by surface-seizing and dipping, but can also catch prey by surface-plunging or pattering. It often associates with other prions and storm-petrels when feeding around boats. The breeding season starts in September and the species is highly colonial, creating burrows in coastal sites on oceanic islands (del Hoyo et al. 1992).

The Fairy Prion is found throughout oceans and coastal areas in the Southern Hemisphere. Their colonies can be found, amongst other places, on the Chatham Islands, Snares Islands and Antipodes Islands of New Zealand, the Bass Strait Islands of Australia, the Crozet Islands (French Southern Territories) in the south Indian Ocean and the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia (Georgia del Sur) in the south Atlantic (del Hoyo et al. 1992).