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Great Shearwater
(Ardenna gravis)
German name(s): "Grosser Sturmtaucher"
Size: 43-51 cm; wing span 0.95-1.22 m
Weight: 830 g (average)
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Great Shearwaters are medium-sized seabirds (large shearwaters).
Their upperparts are dark-grey. While the crown, primaries and
the tail are homogeneously dark, the rest of their
plumage is
visibly vermiculated.
The front, from chin to chest and flanks, is white, while the
belly, vent and undertail mottled grey.
They are the only shearwater in their range (the Atlantic Ocean)
with a white collar.
The underwings are partly white, but with distinct markings,
most prominently from the alula to the inner trailing edge
of the wing. The leading edges of the underwings have little
black (least of all on the inner wings), but the trailing
edge has broad black lining.
The irises are dark and the bill is slender and all dark-grey.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Great
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 the Great Shearwater is available
HERE
.
The Great Shearwater is a species of the Atlantic Ocean.
The overall range extends from the Arctic Ocean to
Cape Hoorn and the Cape of Good Hope. They are not
regularly seen along the coastlines from northern
Argentina to the Carribean or from western South
Africa to the Azores.
In Europe, Great Shearwaters are present only outside their
breeding season, when roaming the open seas and coastal
waters. They can be found in waters off western Europe,
mostly off Iberia, but also on the western side of the
British Isles, including Ireland, and less regularly
off western Norway.
Great Shearwaters are found mostly on the open seas, but
also in coastal waters and, during their breeding season,
on offshore islands.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
J. Pires
reports spotting Great Shearwaters 5 NM off Sagres, Algarve,
Portugal, in October 2018.
All sighting and photographic information presented on this
page has kindly been contributed by J. Pires.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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Lateral view of Great Shearwater
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[5 NM off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Lateral view of Great Shearwater
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[5 NM off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Near-dorsal view of Great Shearwater
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[5 NM off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Near-dorsal view of Great Shearwater
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[5 NM off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Near-dorsal view of Great Shearwater
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[5 NM off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Near-frontal view of Great Shearwater in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[5 NM off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Near-dorsal view of Great Shearwater in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[5 NM off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Comparison of a Great Shearwater, front, and a
Sooty Shearwater,
back
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[5 NM off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Overview of different species of shearwaters hunting in
coastal waters off the south-western tip of Iberia
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
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.