Sooty Shearwater

General Description

The Sooty Shearwater has a dark body with silvery underwings. It is similar in appearance to the Short-tailed Shearwater. Consult a field guide to distinguish between the two.

Sooty Shearwaters are Rare in Western Washington Sound from May-October.

Habitat

Sooty Shearwaters are widespread at sea and concentrate around upwellings, where cold and warm water masses meet, and over the continental shelf in cooler waters. They may come close to shore where the water is deep. They breed in the far Southern Hemisphere, on islands around Australia, New Zealand, and southern South America, where there is diggable soil for burrows, or rock crevices in which to situate nests.

Behavior

In calm weather, Sooty Shearwaters fly low over the ocean's surface with quick, stiff wing-beats. On windy days, they glide over the waves. They are often found in groups of hundreds or thousands, flying in long lines or grouped tightly together on the water. They plunge into the water from a few feet above the surface and swim under water, using their wings to propel themselves. They also dive from the surface, taking prey at surface level, or just below. They sometimes feed near dolphins, whales, or other seabirds.