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Hutton's Shearwater
(Puffinus huttoni)
: "kaikoura titi" (NZ)
Size: 36-38 cm; wing span 72-78 cm
Weight: 305-370 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Hutton's Shearwaters are medium-sized shearwaters with a
nearly homogeneously dark brown-grey upperside, with thin,
slightly lighter-shaded grey-brown edges on both flight
feathers and coverts and indistinct "saddle bags" (white
flank patches visible behind the wings). Except for a
diffuse dark collar, the underparts of the body are white.
The underwings are mostly dark-grey, with dark marks on
the greater primary coverts and dark axillaries. The
central parts of the underwings are dusky. The tips of
the toes project beyond the tip of the wedge-shaped tail.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Hutton's
Shearwater at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of Hutton's Shearwater is available
HERE
.
Hutton's Shearwaters are found in waters around Australia
and New Zealand. They breed only in mainland New Zealand.
Hutton's Shearwaters are non-breeding visitors to the waters around
the entire Australian continent and Tasmania. They are most frequenly
found along the South-east coast of the continent, around Tasmania, and
along the South coast (the Great Australian Bight), but they are also
regularly spotted off the southern half of QLD, in the Coral Sea, and
along the coastlines of WA and the Top End of the NT. Elsewhere they
are spotted less regularly. They do NOT enter the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Hutton's Shearwaters are pelagic birds that spend most of
their time out on the open ocean and in coastal waters.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
M. Roderick reports spotting Hutton's Shearwaters off Port Stephens,
NSW, in September 2015 and off Swansea, NSW, in February 2012 and
again in December 2017.
M. Eaton reports finding Hutton's Shearwaters off Hervey Bay,
QLD, in April 2019.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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Lateral view of Hutton's Shearwater
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Hervey Bay, QLD, April 2019]
Lateral view of Hutton's Shearwater in flight
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Hervey Bay, QLD, April 2019]
View of the upper side of Hutton's Shearwater in flight; note
the inconspicuous "saddle bags" (photo courtesy of M. Roderick)
[Off Port Stephens, NSW, September 2015]
View of the underside of Hutton's Shearwater; note the dark
triangle at the base of the underwing
(photo courtesy of M. Roderick)
[10 NM off Swansea, NSW, February 2012]
Near-dorsal view of Hutton's Shearwater in flight
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Hervey Bay, QLD, April 2019]
Hutton's Shearwater in low flight near a fishing boat
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Off Hervey Bay, QLD, April 2019]
Hutton's Shearwater, front, together with a
Wedge-tailed
Shearwater, back (photo courtesy of M. Roderick)
[Off Swansea, NSW, December 2017]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.