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Great Shearwater (Ardenna gravis) German name(s): "Grosser Sturmtaucher" Size: 43-51 cm; wing span 0.95-1.22 m Body mass: 830 g (average) Wing loading [g/cm2]: ca. 0.75-0.84

Europe: Family Group 3 Family Group 3 Table Black-browed Albatross Northern Fulmar Great Shearwater Cory's Shearwater Scopoli's Shearwater Sooty Shearwater Manx Shearwater Balearic Shearwater Zino's Petrel Wilson's Storm-Petrel European Storm-Petrel Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

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

Physical description 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.

Taxonomy, classification See Great Shearwater at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species 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.

Sightings Click here for sighting information J. Pires reports spotting Great Shearwaters 5 NM off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, in October 2018. More were seen in subsequent pelagics at the same location in October 2023 and October 2024. All sighting and photographic information presented on this page has kindly been contributed by J. Pires.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Full-frontal view of a Great Shearwater (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Frontal view of a Great Shearwater spreading its wings (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Near-frontal view of a Great Shearwater (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Near-frontal view of a preening Great Shearwater (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Lateral view of a Great Shearwater (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Two lateral views of one and the same Great Shearwater taken within a second of each other, showing how their appearance can be affected by changing light conditions (photos courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Lateral view of a Great Shearwater preparing for take-off (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Lateral view of a Great Shearwater preparing for take-off (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Lateral view of a Great Shearwater at take-off (1 of 2) (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Lateral view of a Great Shearwater at take-off (2 of 2) (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Lateral/near-dorsal view of 2 Great Shearwaters (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a Great Shearwater spreading its wings (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a Great Shearwater (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Lateral comparison of a Great Shearwater with a Sooty Shearwater (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Near-lateral view of a Great Shearwater in flight, with a view of its upperwings (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Lateral view of a Great Shearwater in flight, with a view of its underwings (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a Great Shearwater coming in to land (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a Great Shearwater coming in to land, now with the landing gear extended (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

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]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Roaming

Elementary unit: Solitary

Great Shearwaters breed in the southern hemisphere and overwinter on the Atlantic Ocean, eastward of North America. In European territorial waters they are found mostly during their return trip southward, i.e., in the northern autumn, when they take a more easterly route than on their way out.

Food, Diet

Lateral view of a Great Shearwater feeding at the water's surface (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Off Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2023]

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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