Little Shearwater — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Bird guideLittle Shearwater

Despite the generic name, it is unrelated to the puffins , which are auks , the only similarity being that they are both burrow-nesting seabirds.

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⚠️VIC: Vulnerable

🍃Indigenous: Dusky Shearwater, Lao, Gould Shearwater, Allied Shearwater, Allied Petrel

At a glance

FamilyShearwaters and Petrels

SizeMedium

RarityUncommon

HabitatPelagic; mostly offshore and over open ocean, occasionally seen from coastal headlands during passage.

Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from October.

Sounds

Sound sample

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Recorded by David Boyle

Range map

Occurrence window

97approx hotspots

2999approx records

2states

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

Winter breeding birds mainly found around the Kermadec Islands, off southwest Australia, and off the northeastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand.

Behavior

Mainly sedentary and relatively shy, feeding farther offshore than similar seabirds. The Fluttering Shearwater can be distinguished by its larger size, smudgy brown underwing, dark face, and tendency to congregate in flocks much closer to shore.

Gallery