Sooty Shearwater — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Bird guideSooty Shearwater

Medium-sized, dark brown shearwater with silvery flashes on underwings.

Spot this species Read on Wikipedia

⚠️Vulnerable

🍃Indigenous: Sombre Petrel, King Mutton-Bird, Ghost Bird, Mutton-Bird, Sombre Shearwater

At a glance

FamilyShearwaters and Petrels

SizeLarge

RarityUncommon

HabitatSooty shearwaters are vocal at night on the breeding grounds, with usually loud coos and croaks.

Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from October to November.

Sounds

Sound sample

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Recorded by David Boyle

Range map

Occurrence window

507visible hotspots

4014visible records

4states

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

Narrow wings with quick, deep wingbeats. Can be in massive flocks. Extremely similar to Short-tailed Shearwater, but Sooty is heavier and has straighter wings; also look for slightly longer bill and less rounded head. Brown plumage is reminiscent of Flesh-footed Shearwater, but Sooty is narrower-winged and has a smaller, all-dark bill.