A dark brown mottled collar extends down from the neck and fades into the white breast and underparts.
Not listed
Indigenous: Forster Shearwater, Brown-Backed Petrel
At a glance
FamilyShearwaters and Petrels
SizeLarge
RarityCommon
HabitatPelagic; mostly offshore and over open ocean, occasionally seen from coastal headlands during passage.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from July to November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Paul Scofield
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
10763approx records
3states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
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
Slightly larger and darker than the Fluttering Shearwater, with less white showing on the chin and throat.
Behavior
Forages at sea but returns to alpine burrows to breed, an exceptional nesting strategy among seabirds.
Gallery
Regional timing
Victoria
New South Wales
Tasmania
Queensland
Western Australia
South Australia
Australian Capital Territory