Subantarctic Shearwater
NameSubantarctic Shearwater
Common NameSubantarctic Shearwater
Scientific NamePuffinus elegans
FamilyProcellariidae
Wingspan (cm)72
Length (cm)28.5
Weight (g)225
Plumage DetailsDark sooty-grey upperparts, including the crown, nape, back, and upperwings. Clean white underparts from the chin to the undertail coverts. A dark cap extends below the eye, contrasting with white cheeks. The undersides of the wings are white with dark trailing edges and tips.
Vocalization / CallTypically silent at sea. At breeding colonies, it produces a variety of cooing, cackling, and wailing calls, often described as 'ki-ki-ki-kerr' or 'ka-ka-ka-koo-er', primarily at night.
Primary Dietpiscivore
Primary Habitatscoastal
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeBreeds on islands in the Subantarctic region of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, including Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, Prince Edward Islands, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands, Antipodes Islands, and Chatham Islands. Disperses widely across the Southern Ocean outside the breeding season.
Identifying FeaturesSmall size for a shearwater, Dark sooty-grey upperparts, Clean white underparts, Dark cap extending below eye, White face/cheeks, Short dark bill, Agile flight close to the water surface
Description
A small, agile seabird with a distinctive dark sooty-grey upper plumage and clean white underparts. It spends most of its life at sea, foraging for small marine prey, and returns to remote subantarctic islands to breed in burrows.
