Page 391 - (DK) Ocean - The Definitive Visual Guide

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ORDER PROCELLARIIFORMES
Great Shearwater

Puffinus gravis
LENGTH 18–21 in
(46–53 cm)
WEIGHT 1 / 4 –2 lb
3
(800–900 kg)
HABITAT Oceanic islands
(breeding); open ocean
DISTRIBUTION Atlantic Ocean, except off west coast
of Africa south of Sierra Leone
This ocean-living sea bird is a
wide-ranging migrant and is found
across most of the Atlantic Ocean
during the course of the year. It breeds ORDER PROCELLARIIFORMES
in the far south, on some of the
world’s remotest islands. One of these, Wilson’s Storm
Nightingale Island in the Tristan da
Cunha group, is home to about four Petrel Little bigger than a sparrow, Wilson’s rarely settle on the water. Instead, they
million birds. Great shearwaters have storm petrel is reputed to be the flutter their wings and patter the
pointed wings with dark brown upper Oceanites oceanicus world’s most numerous ocean-going surface with their feet, pecking up
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surfaces. Their undersides are much LENGTH 6–7 / 2 in sea bird. It breeds in widely scattered planktonic animals. When food is
paler, making the birds look (15–19 cm) colonies, and its total population is abundant, they may suddenly appear
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alternately black then white during WEIGHT 1–1 / 2 oz unknown but may exceed 20 million. in huge numbers then disappear with
their tilting flight. Sometimes vocal at (30–40 g) At sea this bird may be difficult to equal abruptness. Wilson’s storm petrel
sea, they wail and scream noisily from HABITAT Coasts, islands distinguish from its close relatives, but breeds as far south as Antarctica,
their burrows when breeding. These (breeding); open ocean its plumage is uniformly sooty brown, digging a burrow with its bill and feet.
calls are thought to help incoming DISTRIBUTION Worldwide except for north Pacific apart from a band of white at the base It migrates northward when the
birds to locate their mates after dark. and extreme north Atlantic of its tail. When feeding, storm petrels southern summer comes to an end.

ORDER PROCELLARIIFORMES a single chick. Fed on a rich diet of ORDER PROCELLARIIFORMES with its feet and occasionally settling
oily food, the chicks weigh more than on the water to rest. Leach’s storm
Short-tailed their parents by the time they leave the Leach’s Storm Petrel petrels breed in colonies, laying a
nest. For several centuries, shearwater single egg and returning to their
Shearwater chicks have been harvested for their oil Oceanodroma leucorhoa burrows at night with food for their
and meat. The practice continues today, LENGTH 7 / 2 –8 / 2 in hatched young. In the far north, some
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Puffinus tenuirostris
although the numbers killed are now (19–22 cm) birds delay nesting until August to
LENGTH 16–17 in strictly controlled. WEIGHT 1 / 2 –1 / 4 oz avoid the 24-hour daylight of the
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(41–43 cm)
(40–50 g) Arctic summer, during which they
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WEIGHT 1–1 / 2 lb HABITAT Coasts, islands would be more vulnerable to predators.
(500–700 g)
(breeding); open ocean
HABITAT Open ocean, DISTRIBUTION North Pacific, north Atlantic, coastal
offshore islands
North America and Aleutian Islands
DISTRIBUTION North Pacific, southwestern Pacific
around southern coast of Australia
Leach’s storm petrel is silent at sea, but
it makes a high-pitched purring
Awkward and ungainly on land, the sound, interrupted by sharp whistles,
short-tailed shearwater is a tireless flier, in and near its nest. Unlike Wilson’s
skirting around most of the north storm petrel (see above), this
Pacific during its annual migration. species breeds in the
Like other shearwaters, it travels Northern Hemisphere. It
just inches above the waves in migrates southward in late
fast-moving flocks, interrupting its summer, roaming throughout
flight whenever it spots food. However, the north Pacific and much of the
it has a narrower bill than other Atlantic. Small and brownish black,
shearwaters, and its overall color is with a sharply forked tail, it flies
a dark, smoky brown. It nests in vast rapidly, changing direction frequently
island colonies, each pair producing as it scans the water’s surface for food.
It feeds on planktonic animals and
MIGRATION small fish, pattering on the surface
The short-tailed shearwater has This stubby bird with pointed wings
a unique figure-eight migration ORDER PROCELLARIIFORMES and pale blue feet is the Southern
route, 20,800 miles (33,500 km) Hemisphere’s counterpart of the
long, that takes advantage of Common Diving
June– auklets (see p.399). Despite being
prevailing winds. After laying eggs August September Petrel unrelated, it shares the auklets’ fast,
in November and December, the low flight and their feeding technique.
birds head north in April and May, April– Pelecanoides urinatrix Instead of searching for food on the
May
reaching the Bering Sea by August.
LENGTH 8–10 in wing, like other petrels, it dives, using
They then move south along North (20–25 cm) its wings to swim. It frequently flies
America’s west October
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WEIGHT 4–4 / 2 oz straight through waves, emerging with
coast, before KEY (110–130 g) rapidly whirring wings on the other OCEAN LIFE
returning to breeding area HABITAT Coasts, islands side. This species nests in burrows,
their breeding migration route November– (breeding); open ocean returning to its nests after dark. There
colonies. wind direction March DISTRIBUTION Southern Ocean and adjoining waters are three other similar-looking species,
and islands
all found in southern seas.