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Large but light-bodied shearwater with rather broad wings and a long, wedge-shaped tail often held closed in a point.
SA: Vulnerable
Indigenous: Wedge-Tailed Petrel, Wedge-Tailed Mutton-Bird, Petrel, Little Mutton-Bird, Mutton-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 September to October.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Dries Van de Loock
Range map
Range map
1276visible hotspots
54071visible records
4states
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
Overview
Fairly common in warm tropical waters and at times visible from shore. Typical flight is unhurried with easy buoyant glides and stiff wingbeats. Plumage variable: most birds are gray-brown above and whitish below; others are dark brown overall. Note pale scaly edgings to back feathers and slender grayish bill.
Behavior
Occurs locally in flocks of hundreds; elsewhere occurs in smaller numbers. Usually seen with feeding flocks of other seabirds.
Gallery