One of the most common pelagic birds in the world, the sooty shearwater has a global population estimated at more than 20 million birds. This also makes these shearwaters some of the most familiar and easiest to see for pelagic birding.
Common Name:
Sooty Shearwater
Scientific Name:
Puffinus griseus
Appearance:
- Bill: Long, dark, hooked top mandible
- Size: 19 inches long with 40-inch wingspan, compact body
- Colors: Brown, whitish, black, silvery gray
- Markings: Genders are similar with overall dark, dull brown plumage that can appear blackish on the tail and wingtips. The inner area of the underwing coverts is whitish or may show a silvery sheen in bright light and is a key field mark for identification in flight, though the exact color and extent of lightness can vary based on individual birds and available views. The eyes, legs and feet are black.
Foods:
Fish, squid, crustaceans
Habitat and Migration:
Sooty shearwaters are one of the most widespread pelagic birds and they can be found throughout the world. While they prefer to stay far out to sea, they are occasionally found close to land in times of high onshore winds or near deep coastal bays. During the summer months they are most common in northern waters of both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and they continue their cyclic migration to all the world's oceans in the winter. They are uncommon, however, in the Indian Ocean or near the Pacific coast of China.
Vocalizations:
These are generally silent birds, but during the mating season they will use a rhythmic, low pitched moaning or braying call. While arguing over food, they will use series of noisy squeaks, and this can be particularly audible near large feeding flocks.
Behavior:
Sooty shearwaters are very social birds that can congregate in flocks of more than one million individuals. These are very adept divers and can swim easily underwater, reaching depths up to 30 feet in search of food. In flight, they have a pattern of several fast flaps followed by a stiff glide just a few feet above the surface of the water.
Reproduction:
These are colonial nesting birds that dig nest burrows on isolated southern islands. A pair of sooty shearwaters will incubate a single egg for 53-55 days. Both parents will continue to care for the chick for 95-120 days until it is ready to leave the nest, typically feeding it only at night when there is less risk of predators finding the nest. Because of the long parental care period, only one brood is possible each year.
Attracting Sooty Shearwaters:
No pelagic birds are backyard visitors, but at sea sooty shearwaters may be attracted fishing trawlers in the hopes of an easy meal from a recent catch or offal from cleaning the fish. If no food is available, however, the birds are not likely to follow the boat for long periods of time.
Similar Birds:
- Short-Tailed Shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris)
- Flesh-Footed Shearwater (Puffinus carneipes)
- Ashy Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma homochroa)
Photo – Sooty Shearwater in Flight © marlin harms
Photo – Sooty Shearwater in Flight; Underwing View © marlin harms
Photo – Sooty Shearwater at Rest © Michael Woodruff
