The architecture of sooty shearwater burrows can vary within and between breeding colonies, and is influenced by competition for breeding space and habitat type, with soil under dense tussac grass being easier to excavate than other substrates.[14]. While arguing over food, they use series of noisy squeaks, and this can be particularly audible near large feeding flocks. Genders are similar with overall dark, dull brown plumage that appears blackish on the tail and wingtips. The targeted study also showed that contrary to the previous assumptions sooty shearwaters do not make a big Pan-Pacific sweep to cover all of their feeding areas in the Northern Hemisphere instead individual birds went to just one of the major hot spots and stayed there until time to return Southern Hemisphere to breed. The hazards these birds face due to human interferences are another factor which tends to jeopardize their population while they are in the process of migration. Its flight is powerful and direct, with wings held stiff and straight, giving the impression of a very small albatross. In New Zealand it is also known by its Maori name titi and also as "mutton-bird" like its relatives the Wedge-tailed Shearwater (P. pacificus) and the Australian Short-tailed Shearwater (P. tenuirostris). Amazingly they do not migrate as a flock but rather as single individuals. It is the longest recorded animal migration. But in the light of recent studies scientists have discovered that the Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus) a small nomadic bird having, sooty brown colour, dark billed, dark legs, slim pointed wings and having a wing span of almost 100 cm which is confined mainly to offshore and pelagic waters of New Zealand and Chile has been scientifically proved to have the longest migrating pattern. Thus it can be said that with the help of sophisticated technology researchers along the length and breadth of the earth are unearthing more and more hidden facts pertaining to bird migrations in the best possible manners which were masked since a considerable long time. The sooty shearwater is also identifiable by its dark plumage which is responsible for its name..

And subsequently their return journey is performed a few months later to their native places after spending their holidays. But at irregular intervals, they can also dive deep in the sea for food. This bird breeds from the Arctic coasts to Alaska, Greenland, Canada, Europe and Siberia and winters in the southern continental latitudes eventually reaching the Antarctic ice edge. 1000 km in a single day. After spending the summer breeding in New Zealand, sooty shearwaters migrate to the far north of the Pacific Ocean, where they feed at sea for several months. They start breeding in October, and incubate their young for about 54 days. Usually, they chatter along the surface water of the sea scanning for their prey. These small sea birds crossed the equator twice a year in pursuit of an endless summer feeding near the period of peak productivity. Sooty Shearwater Credit: Don Loarie, Flickr. Sooty Shearwaters (Ardenna grisea) are the migration kings of the ocean. In Great Britain, they move south in late August and September; with strong north and north-west winds, they may occasionally become "trapped" in the shallow, largely enclosed North Sea, and heavy passages[clarification needed] may be seen flying back north up the British east coast as they retrace their path back to the Atlantic over northern Scotland. The distances involved in their migration mean that they often cross the political boundaries of the countries. Sooty shearwater fly 65,000 km (39,000 miles) in a roundtrip journey each year. Ardenna was first used to refer to a seabird by Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi in 1603, and grisea is medieval Latin for "grey".[2]. They can dive up to 68 m deep for food,[13] but more commonly take surface food, in particular often following whales to catch fish disturbed by them. The Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus) is a medium-large bird falling in the seabird family Procellariidae.

The data also proved that due to high productivity these birds dived to a depth of almost 30 feet under water so as to catch fish, squid, krill and other aquatic animals to fill its belly near Antarctica during the summer and then zipped to North Pacific to accomplish their journey. Hunting along their migratory route also takes a heavy toll. Contrary to previous assumptions, sooty shearwaters do not make a big pan-Pacific sweep to cover all …


Usually loud, sooty shearwaters coo and croak while on the breeding grounds. Usually, like other diving birds nature has also provided sooty shearwater with a thick lining of down feathers in the ventral part of their belly which is water-resistant in nature and thus helps this bird to find food in the chilling water of the oceans.
Sooty Shearwater. Usually, they chatter along the surface water of the sea scanning for their prey. Bird migration is one of the nature’s most extraordinary wonders. Shearwater migrations originating from breeding colonies in New Zealand.

The short-tailed shearwater in particular is almost impossible to tell apart from the present species at a distance. But the details of their remarkable trans-equatorial migrations are now emerging from a recent study using electronic tracking tags. The main reason attributed to this assertion is the global climate change which is affecting ocean productivity at an alarming rate. In this perspective it is not an exaggeration to state that seabirds are marvelously adapted for covering enormous distances over trackless oceans and therefore they are considered as champions among the migrants. During 17 cruises, 1983 to 1991, we recorded flight directions and densities of Sooty Shearwaters (Puf/inus griseus) migrating across the equatorial Pacific, between the Americas and 17O”W.

Scientists have long been known that sooty shearwaters breed in New Zealand and Chile and migrate to feeding grounds in the Northern hemisphere. They are infrequent however reports about their scanty presence have been reported by some ornithologists in the Indian Ocean and near the Pacific coast of China. But at irregular intervals, they can also dive deep in the sea for food. Scientists have reported their recent population decline at breeding colonies in New Zealand and in the eastern North Pacific. These studies not only usher people to look deeply into the marvellous, mystique and daring lives of birds but also persuade them to protect and conserve them. Upon vigorously contemplating the data gained from electronic tags scientists jumped to the conclusion that these birds leave New Zealand in the Southern Hemisphere in the winter and summer in the Northern Hemisphere taking advantage of the prevailing winds along different portions of their migration route. The diving patterns recorded by the electronic tags revealed that these birds stopped little to feed as they pass through the equatorial regions of their journey. They start breeding in October, and incubate their young for about 54 days. Wingbeats are quick and snappy but deep.