Great Shearwater

Ardenna gravis

The ocean's marathon flyer, this seabird clocks over 12,000 miles yearly as it circles the Atlantic in an endless summer.

Visual Identification

Appearance

The Great Shearwater is a large seabird with distinctive brown and white plumage. Its upperparts are dark brown, contrasting sharply with a white underside. The bird has a dark cap extending below the eyes, a white collar, and a dark tail.

Females and males share the same coloring, although the sexes can usually be told apart when alongside males as they are slightly smaller.

Juveniles resemble adults but may have slightly lighter edges to their upper wing coverts. In younger birds, the white collar may also be absent.

Size

Length

43cm to 51cm

Wingspan

100cm to 118cm

Weight

715g to 950g

Colours

Males and females have similar plumage

Primary Colour

Brown White

Secondary Colour

Grey Black

Beak Colour

Grey

Leg Colour

Pink

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Great Shearwater is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Great Shearwater is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Great Shearwater can be found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Great Shearwater can be found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Great Shearwater is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Great Shearwater is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Great Shearwater is not typically found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Great Shearwater is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Great Shearwater is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Great Shearwater is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Great Shearwater is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Great Shearwater is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

Great Shearwaters breed on remote islands in the South Atlantic, including Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island. Outside the breeding season, they undertake a trans-equatorial migration, ranging widely across the North and South Atlantic Oceans.

In the Northern Hemisphere summer, they can be observed off the coasts of North America, including the eastern United States and Canada, and in European waters, particularly around the UK and Ireland.

Elevation Range

Sea level to 600 meters

Climate zones

Temperate, Subtropical, Tropical

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Great Shearwater. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons