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A medium-sized brown-and-white shearwater with darker upperparts extending to the head.
Not listed
Indigenous: Forster Shearwater, Brown-Backed Petrel
At a glance
FamilyShearwaters and Petrels
SizeLarge
RarityCommon
HabitatCoastlines, harbours, offshore waters, estuaries, headlands, beaches, and large inland water when conditions suit.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from July to November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Paul Scofield
Range map
Range map
582visible hotspots
9982visible records
4states
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
A dark brown mottled collar extends down from the neck and fades into the white breast and underparts. Slightly larger and darker than the Fluttering Shearwater, with less white showing on the chin and throat.
Gallery