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It neither dives out of flight very often, nor in a plunge off the water's surface.
Not listed
Indigenous: Ashy-Backed Shearwater, Ashy-Backed Petrel, Grey-Backed Shearwater, New Zealand Shearwater
At a glance
FamilyShearwaters and Petrels
SizeLarge
RarityUncommon
HabitatCoastlines, harbours, offshore waters, estuaries, headlands, beaches, and large inland water when conditions suit.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from January.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Sophie Bennett
Range map
Range map
171visible hotspots
898visible records
0states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Food is caught mainly at a head's length below the surface at most, the bird either picking it up with the bill only, often out of flight, or briefly inserting the entire head, usually while swimming.
Behavior
Fledged juveniles already have the adult's colouration; the nestlings are covered in grey down feathers. This species is pelagic like the other Ardenna shearwaters; it is a transequatorial migrant ranging across most of the Pacific Ocean outside the breeding season.
Gallery