Photo: Duncan Wright / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Seabirds & Tubenoses

Wedge-tailed Shearwater

Ardenna pacifica

Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) — Seabirds & Tubenoses of Oceans & Seabirds.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of Colombia Birds of Costa Rica Birds of Ecuador Birds of Indonesia Birds of India Birds of Japan Birds of Kenya Birds of Mexico Birds of Malaysia

By family

Petrels & Shearwaters of Australia Petrels & Shearwaters of Colombia Petrels & Shearwaters of Costa Rica Petrels & Shearwaters of Ecuador Petrels & Shearwaters of Indonesia Petrels & Shearwaters of India Petrels & Shearwaters of Japan Petrels & Shearwaters of Mexico

See what's near you right now

The Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) is a member of the Procellariidae family found in Oceans & Seabirds. Adults weigh 388 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Genus Ardenna
Species pacifica

Where it lives

Islets of tropical South Indian Ocean: Amirantes and Inner Is. (central, northeastern Seychelles) and Mascarenes (Malagasy region), Chagos and Cocos (Keeling) (southeastern Indian Ocean), New Guinea region, and western Australia; islets of subtropical and tropical Pacific Ocean: eastern Australia including Torres Strait is. (northeastern Australia), Lord Howe and Norfolk is. (far east of Australia), Kermadec Is. (northeast of North I., New Zealand); Solomon Is., Vanuatu and New Caledonia; Senkaku (=Pescadores Is.), Ogasawara (=Bonin Is.) and Iwo (=Volcano Is; south of Japan); throughout Micronesia and Polynesia (except Cook and Pitcairn groups); Northwestern and main Hawaiian Is.; and Revillagigedo Is. (far west of central Mexico)

Oceans & Seabirds

Quick facts

Weight: 388 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Procellariidae
Order: Procellariiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Grey-faced Petrel

Pterodroma gouldi

Least Concern

Northern Fulmar

Fulmarus glacialis

Least Concern

White-headed Petrel

Pterodroma lessonii

Near Threatened

Cape Verde Shearwater

Calonectris edwardsii

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Wedge-tailed 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 Wedge-tailed Shearwater is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) is a species of petrels, shearwaters, diving petrels in the family Procellariidae, order Procellariiformes. It is found in Oceans & Seabirds — islets of tropical South Indian Ocean: Amirantes and Inner Is. (c, ne Seychelles) and Mascarenes (Malagasy region), Chagos and Cocos (Keeling) (se Indian Ocean), New Guinea region, and w Australia; islets of subtropical and tropical Pacific Ocean: e Australia including Torres Strait is. (ne Australia), Lord Howe and Norfolk is. (far e of Australia), Kermadec Is. (ne of North I., New Zealand); Solomon Is., Vanuatu and New Caledonia; Senkaku (=Pescadores Is.), Ogasawara (=Bonin Is.) and Iwo (=Volcano Is; s of Japan); throughout Micronesia and Polynesia (except Cook and Pitcairn groups); Northwestern and main Hawaiian Is.; and Revillagigedo Is. (far w of c Mexico).

Songs & calls

Wedge-tailed Shearwater — Call, song

Recorded by Kathryn Hodder Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Wedge-tailed Shearwater?

The Wedge-tailed Shearwater is a large bird that weighs around 388 g.

Where does the Wedge-tailed Shearwater live?

The Wedge-tailed Shearwater is found across Oceans & Seabirds with a range covering PO, IO islets of tropical South Indian Ocean: Amirantes and Inner Is. (c, ne Seychelles) and Mascarenes (Malagasy region), Chagos and Cocos (Keeling) (se Indian Ocean), New Guinea region, and w Australia; islets of subtropical and tropical Pacific Ocean: e Australia including Torres Strait is. (ne Australia), Lord Howe and Norfolk is. (far e of Australia), Kermadec Is. (ne of North I., New Zealand); Solomon Is., Vanuatu and New Caledonia; Senkaku (=Pescadores Is.), Ogasawara (=Bonin Is.) and Iwo (=Volcano Is; s of Japan); throughout Micronesia and Polynesia (except Cook and Pitcairn groups); Northwestern and main Hawaiian Is.; and Revillagigedo Is. (far w of c Mexico), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Wedge-tailed Shearwater belong to?

The Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) belongs to the Procellariidae family, in the order Procellariiformes.

What does the Wedge-tailed Shearwater eat?

The Wedge-tailed Shearwater hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Wedge-tailed Shearwater migrate?

The Wedge-tailed Shearwater is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Wedge-tailed 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 Wedge-tailed Shearwater make?

1 real field recording of the Wedge-tailed 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 Wedge-tailed Shearwater's range?

The Wedge-tailed Shearwater has a mapped global range of about 120 million km².