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3

Sooty Shearwater

(Ardenna grisea)
Alternate name(s): "New Zealand Muttonbird", "Ghost Bird", "King Muttonbird", "Sombre Shearwater"
Size: 40-51 cm; wing span 0.95-1.1 m

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Sooty Shearwater at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-lateral view onto the upperparts of a Sooty Shearwater in flight (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]

Lateral view of a Sooty Shearwater in low flight; note the slender bill and the dark head and trailing edge of the wing (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a Sooty Shearwater in flight; note the bowed wing tips, which are typical for the species (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]

Lateral/ventral view onto the underparts of a Sooty Shearwater in flight (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]

Near-dorsal view onto the upperparts of a Sooty Shearwater in flight (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]

Near-dorsal view onto the upperparts of a Sooty Shearwater in flight (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Sooty Shearwater in flight (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]

Dorsal view of a Sooty Shearwater in flight (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]

Two Sooty Shearwaters in low flight almost touching the water with their wing tips (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]

Dorsal view of two Sooty Shearwaters in low flight almost touching the water with their wing tips (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]

Lateral comparison of a Sooty Shearwater with a Mottled Petrel in flight (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]

Additional information

More photos of Sooty Shearwaters are available from Europe.

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.

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