Fluttering Shearwater

The Fluttering Shearwater (Puffinus gavia) is an Australian bird or regular visitor that can be identified most reliably by combining shape, plumage, habitat and behaviour. A small black-and-white shearwater with dark upperparts, white underparts and a relatively compact body; the boundary between dark and white on the face is usually fairly clean. Adults are typically about 30–36 cm long, although posture, sex, age and plumage can affect how large an individual appears in the field.

How to identify a Fluttering Shearwater

A small black-and-white shearwater with dark upperparts, white underparts and a relatively compact body; the boundary between dark and white on the face is usually fairly clean. 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.

Fluttering Shearwaters fly rapidly with quick wingbeats interrupted by short glides and often feed in active flocks close to the sea surface. 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 Fluttering Shearwater found in Australia?

A regular visitor to south-eastern Australian waters, especially off New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, though it breeds primarily in New Zealand.

Typical habitat includes coastal and shelf waters, bays and open sea where small schooling fish and plankton are concentrated. 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 Fluttering Shearwater eat?

Small fish, krill and other marine prey caught by surface seizing and pursuit-diving. 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

Fluttering Shearwaters fly rapidly with quick wingbeats interrupted by short glides and often feed in active flocks close to the sea surface.

At sea they are usually quiet; breeding-colony calls are mostly heard within their New Zealand nesting range. 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

Breeding occurs in burrows and crevices on New Zealand offshore islands; Australian birds are mainly marine visitors. 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

Hutton’s Shearwater is extremely similar and separation can be difficult at sea; Short-tailed Shearwaters are larger and entirely dark below.

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 30–36 cm; its key visual clue is a small black-and-white shearwater with dark upperparts, white underparts and a relatively compact body; the boundary between dark and white on the face is usually fairly clean.; and a typical setting is coastal and shelf waters, bays and open sea where small schooling fish and plankton are concentrated. 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.