Christmas Shearwater
NameChristmas Shearwater
Common NameChristmas Shearwater
Scientific NamePuffinus nativitatis
FamilyProcellariidae
Wingspan (cm)76
Length (cm)37
Weight (g)355
Plumage DetailsEntirely sooty dark brown to blackish plumage, appearing uniform across the body, wings, and tail. The bill and legs are also dark.
Vocalization / CallVocalizations at breeding colonies include low moans, cooing sounds, and cackling calls, often heard at night.
Primary Dietpiscivore
Primary Habitatscoastal
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeFound throughout the tropical Pacific Ocean, breeding on remote islands such as Christmas Island (Kiritimati), Wake Island, Johnston Atoll, and others across the central and eastern Pacific.
Identifying Featuresuniformly dark brown to black plumage, slender dark bill, long, narrow wings, characteristic shearwater gliding flight close to the water surface
Description
The Christmas Shearwater is a medium-sized, uniformly dark seabird with long, slender wings adapted for gliding over the open ocean. It spends most of its life at sea, coming ashore only to breed on remote tropical islands.
