The Flesh-footed Shearwater (Ardenna carneipes) is an Australian bird or regular visitor that can be identified most reliably by combining shape, plumage, habitat and behaviour. A large uniformly dark brown shearwater with a stout pale pinkish bill tipped darker and flesh-pink feet, although the feet are often hidden in flight. Adults are typically about 40–45 cm long, although posture, sex, age and plumage can affect how large an individual appears in the field.
How to identify a Flesh-footed Shearwater
A large uniformly dark brown shearwater with a stout pale pinkish bill tipped darker and flesh-pink feet, although the feet are often hidden in flight. Start with overall silhouette before focusing on colour. Check the bill, legs, tail, wing shape and any bold head or body pattern. Distance, shade, glare and strong Australian sunlight can change the apparent colour of feathers, so several matching features are more useful than a single mark.
Flesh-footed Shearwaters use strong gliding flight and often investigate feeding schools or vessels. They can make deep dives when pursuing prey. Behaviour can be one of the quickest ways to confirm an identification because closely related birds often feed, fly or perch differently even when their plumage looks similar.
Where is the Flesh-footed Shearwater found in Australia?
Occurs in southern and western Australian waters and breeds on selected offshore islands, including colonies off Western Australia and New South Wales.
Typical habitat includes open ocean and shelf waters, especially around productive feeding zones and offshore breeding islands. Distribution can shift with rainfall, drought, breeding conditions, migration, tides and local food supply, so an apparently unusual sighting should be checked against season as well as location.
What does the Flesh-footed Shearwater eat?
Fish, squid and other marine prey taken from the surface, by shallow dives and sometimes around fishing activity. Watching exactly how a bird feeds can provide another useful clue. Note whether it runs and pecks, probes mud, sweeps its bill, plunge-dives, surface-dips or catches food in flight. Feeding technique often separates species that share the same habitat.
Wild birds do not need processed human food. Protecting natural habitat, clean water and native food sources is usually a better way to support them than regular feeding.
Behaviour and calls
Flesh-footed Shearwaters use strong gliding flight and often investigate feeding schools or vessels. They can make deep dives when pursuing prey.
At colonies they give crooning and wailing calls at night, similar in atmosphere to other burrow-nesting shearwaters. Voice can be especially useful when distance, a crowded flock or low light makes visual identification difficult. Try to notice the rhythm and tone as well as a written approximation of the sound.
Nesting and breeding
They nest in burrows on offshore islands and usually lay a single egg. Breeding timing varies according to latitude, climate and species. Many migratory shorebirds seen in Australia breed in the Northern Hemisphere, while resident terns and seabirds may nest on Australian beaches or offshore islands. If you find a nest or dependent young, observe from a respectful distance.
Similar birds
Wedge-tailed Shearwaters have a slimmer dark bill and wedge-shaped tail, while Short-tailed Shearwaters are smaller-billed and usually appear more compact.
When two species remain difficult to separate, compare photographs against multiple field marks rather than choosing on colour alone. Geographic range, voice, habitat and feeding style may be more decisive than one feather pattern.
Quick identification tip
Remember three things: its approximate size is 40–45 cm; its key visual clue is a large uniformly dark brown shearwater with a stout pale pinkish bill tipped darker and flesh-pink feet, although the feet are often hidden in flight.; and a typical setting is open ocean and shelf waters, especially around productive feeding zones and offshore breeding islands. Matching all three gives a much stronger identification than any one clue by itself.
Sources and further reading
For additional Australian bird information and conservation guidance, see BirdLife Australia bird profiles and the Australian Museum bird collection. Image licensing and creator information for this page is recorded from the linked Wikimedia Commons file page.
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