Photo: Duncan Wright / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Christmas Shearwater
Puffinus nativitatis
Christmas Shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) — Seabirds & Tubenoses of Oceans & Seabirds.
Found across 16 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Christmas Shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) is a member of the Procellariidae family found in Oceans & Seabirds. Adults weigh 356 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Procellariiformes
- Family Procellariidae Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
- Genus Puffinus
- Species nativitatis
Where it lives
Islands of Northwestern Hawaiian Is., Lehua and Ka'ula (northern, southwest of Ni'hau, west of Kauai), Moku Manu (O'ahu; Hawaiian Is.), Line, Austral, Marquesas, Gambier, Pitcairn, Easter (=Eastern) groups and is. Salas y Gomez (eastern Polynesia)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 356 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Procellariidae
- Order
- Procellariiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Christmas Shearwater hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Christmas Shearwater is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Christmas Shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) is a species of petrels, shearwaters, diving petrels in the family Procellariidae, order Procellariiformes. It is found in Oceans & Seabirds — islands of Northwestern Hawaiian Is., Lehua and Ka'ula (n, sw of Ni'hau, w of Kauai), Moku Manu (O'ahu; Hawaiian Is.), Line, Austral, Marquesas, Gambier, Pitcairn, Easter (=Eastern) groups and is. Salas y Gomez (e Polynesia).
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Christmas Shearwater?
The Christmas Shearwater is a large bird that weighs around 356 g.
Where does the Christmas Shearwater live?
The Christmas Shearwater is found across Oceans & Seabirds with a range covering PO islands of Northwestern Hawaiian Is., Lehua and Ka'ula (n, sw of Ni'hau, w of Kauai), Moku Manu (O'ahu; Hawaiian Is.), Line, Austral, Marquesas, Gambier, Pitcairn, Easter (=Eastern) groups and is. Salas y Gomez (e Polynesia), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Christmas Shearwater belong to?
The Christmas Shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) belongs to the Procellariidae family, in the order Procellariiformes.
What does the Christmas Shearwater eat?
The Christmas Shearwater hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Christmas Shearwater migrate?
The Christmas Shearwater is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Christmas Shearwater endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Christmas Shearwater make?
1 real field recording of the Christmas Shearwater — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Christmas Shearwater's range?
The Christmas Shearwater has a mapped global range of about 50.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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