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Medium-sized, dark brown shearwater.
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
HabitatCoastlines, harbours, offshore waters, estuaries, headlands, beaches, and large inland water when conditions suit.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from October to November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Peter Boesman
Range map
Range map
1437visible hotspots
25867visible records
5states
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
Behavior
Medium-sized, dark brown shearwater. Can be abundant in ocean waters off Alaska, gathering in enormous flocks; less common further south.
Gallery