These are among the larger species of shearwater, which have been moved to a separate genus, Ardenna based on a phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA (Penhallurick & Wink, 2004).
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Sooty Shearwater, Bonaparte Shearwater, Mutton-Bird, Tasmanian Mutton-Bird, Slender-Billed Shearwater, Short-Tailed Petrel, Slender-Billed Petrel, Seal-Bird
At a glance
FamilyShearwaters and Petrels
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatPelagic; mostly offshore and over open ocean, occasionally seen from coastal headlands during passage.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from October to November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Peter Boesman
Range map
Range map
1440visible hotspots
25902visible records
5states
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
Behavior
Can be abundant in ocean waters off Alaska, gathering in enormous flocks; less common further south.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
South Australia
Victoria
Queensland
Tasmania
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Australian Capital Territory