Photo: Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Sooty Shearwater
Ardenna grisea
Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) — Seabirds & Tubenoses of Worldwide.
Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) is a member of the Procellariidae family found in Antarctica, Australia & Oceania and Oceans & Seabirds. Adults weigh 787 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Procellariiformes
- Family Procellariidae Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
- Genus Ardenna
- Species grisea
Where it lives
Worldwide southern temperate and subantarctic islands from southern Chile and Falklands to southern Australia and Tasmania, Macquarie (far southeast of Australia) and outlying islands of New Zealand
Quick facts
- Weight
- 787 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Procellariidae
- Order
- Procellariiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Sooty 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 Sooty Shearwater is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) is a member of the Procellariidae family, within the order Procellariiformes. It is found across Antarctica, Australia & Oceania and Oceans & Seabirds. Its distribution covers Worldwide s temperate and subantarctic islands from s Chile and Falklands to s Australia and Tasmania, Macquarie (far se of Australia) and outlying islands of New Zealand.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 787 g, with a wing length of about 29.6 cm and a tail of around 8.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 21.3 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Sooty Shearwater?
The Sooty Shearwater is a large bird that weighs around 787 g.
Where does the Sooty Shearwater live?
The Sooty Shearwater is found across Antarctica, Australia & Oceania and Oceans & Seabirds with a range covering Worldwide s temperate and subantarctic islands from s Chile and Falklands to s Australia and Tasmania, Macquarie (far se of Australia) and outlying islands of New Zealand, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Sooty Shearwater belong to?
The Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) belongs to the Procellariidae family, in the order Procellariiformes.
What does the Sooty Shearwater eat?
The Sooty Shearwater hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Sooty Shearwater migrate?
The Sooty Shearwater is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Sooty Shearwater endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Sooty Shearwater make?
1 real field recording of the Sooty Shearwater — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Sooty Shearwater's range?
The Sooty Shearwater has a mapped global range of about 21.3 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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