Short-tailed Shearwater

Puffinus tenuirostrisOrder: PROCELLARIIFORMESFamily: Petrels and Shearwaters (Procellariidae)
Short-tailed Shearwater Head Illustration

Head

  • Bill Shape: Hooked Seabird
  • Eye color: Brown iris
  • Head Pattern: Plain
  • Crown color: Blue, Gray
  • Forehead color: Black
  • Nape Color: Dark Brown
  • Throat color: Black
  • Cere color:
Short-tailed Shearwater Body Illustration

Body

  • Length Range: 40-43 cm (16-17 in)
  • Weight: 544 g (19.2 oz)
  • Size: Size 4. Large (16 - 32 in)
  • Color: Brown, Black
  • Underparts: Dark Brown
  • Upperparts: Dark Brown
  • Back Pattern: Solid
  • Belly Pattern: Solid
  • Breast Pattern: Solid
Short-tailed Shearwater Flight Illustration

Flight

  • Flight Pattern: Purposeful strong flaps followed by long glides., Soars on brisk winds.
  • Wingspan Range: 96-99 cm (38-39 in)
  • Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings
  • Tail Shape: Rounded Tail
  • Tail Pattern: Solid
  • Upper Tail: Dark Brown
  • Under Tail: Dark Brown
  • Leg color: Gray
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Family Shearwater (Procellariidae)_blue
Species Puffinus tenuirostris
Length16 - 17 Inches
Wingspan38.5 Inches

Short-tailed Shearwater

Short-tailed Shearwater: Medium shearwater with dark brown body and occasional traces of white in the center of upperwings. Bill is short and dark. Feet are dark gray and trail slightly behind tail in flight. Tail is rounded. Alternates strong flaps with long glides, often soars for long periods.

● Song: Generally silent

● Foraging & Feeding: Short-tailed Shearwater: Feeds on krill and small fish; usually forages at surface, but sometimes plunge dives for food.

● Breeding & nesting: Short-tailed Shearwater: One white egg is laid in a leaf-lined chamber at the end of a burrow. Incubation ranges from 52 to 55 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Short-tailed Shearwater: Sooty Shearwater has a slightly longer bill and more pronounced white under the wings. Wedge-tailed Shearwater has a noticeably longer tail.

Flight Pattern

Purposeful strong flaps followed by long glides., Soars on brisk winds.
Short-tailed Shearwater Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Short-tailed Shearwater: Breeds on coasts and islands of southeastern Australia. Summer visitor to Pacific Coast of North America, from Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands south to California; rare south of British Columbia. Pelagic, comes ashore only to breed.
BreedingColonial
PopulationYes but uncommon, Abundant on breeding grounds
MigrationMigratory
Weight19.2 Ounces