# Sooty Shearwater (*Ardenna grisea*) The Sooty Shearwater is a dark-colored seabird that loves to soar over the waves. It's an amazing flyer! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Open oceans and coastal areas - **Also known as:** Muttonbird, Sooty Albatross ![Sooty Shearwater](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425900/objects/4631.jpg) ## Appearance The Sooty Shearwater is a medium-large seabird with entirely dark, sooty-brown plumage. It has long, narrow wings that show a striking silvery-white flash underneath when gliding over the ocean. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Procellariiformes - **Family:** Procellariidae - **Genus:** Puffinus ## Interesting facts - Sooty Shearwater chicks can weigh more than their parents before fledging! - Sooty Shearwaters drink salty seawater and have special glands to remove salt! - These birds dig deep burrows for nests, sometimes 3 meters long! - They fly an amazing 64,000 km journey each year, pole to pole! ## Special abilities - **Migration Master:** Sooty Shearwater can travel incredible distances annually, fueled by efficient flight and seeking food across hemispheres. - **Deep Diver:** Sooty Shearwater can dive over 60 meters deep to catch prey, helped by its streamlined body and pursuit hunting method. - **Odor Navigator:** Sooty Shearwater can find its specific burrow in huge, crowded colonies using its amazing sense of smell. - **Ocean Glider:** Sooty Shearwater has long, stiff wings that help them glide effortlessly over ocean waves, saving vital energy. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 40-46 cm - **Wingspan:** 95-110 cm - **Weight:** 0.7-0.9 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-30 years - **Speed:** 80 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1 - **Incubation:** 50-57 days - **Migration Distance:** 64000 km ## Diet & Feeding Sooty Shearwaters are expert hunters, mainly eating small fish and squid from the ocean depths. - **Primary Foods:** Anchovies, Sardines, Squid, Krill - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Orca](https://www.snappit.app/explore/orca) (*Orcinus orca*) — Orcas prey on shearwaters at sea during migration. - **Eaten by:** Great Skua (*Catharacta skua*) — Skuas snatch chicks and eggs from their nests. - **Hunts:** [European Anchovy](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-anchovy) (*Engraulis encrasicolus*) — Shearwaters dive for these small, schooling fish. - **Hunts:** Arrow Squid (*Nototodarus sloanii*) — They hunt arrow squid by pursuing them underwater. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Sooty Shearwater? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Sooty Shearwater? 40-46 cm ### What is Sooty Shearwater's wingspan? 95-110 cm ### How much does Sooty Shearwater weigh? 0.7-0.9 kg ### How long does Sooty Shearwater live? 15-30 years ### How fast can Sooty Shearwater move? 80 km/h ### What does Sooty Shearwater eat? Sooty Shearwaters are expert hunters, mainly eating small fish and squid from the ocean depths. ### Where is Sooty Shearwater usually found? Open oceans and coastal areas ## Where to spot - [Ocean Beach](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ocean-beach) — California, US · Neighborhood - [Dolphin Research Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dolphin-research-center) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Marineland of the Pacific](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marineland-of-the-pacific-california) — California, US · Zoo - [Marineland of the Pacific](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marineland-of-the-pacific) — California, US · Aquarium [View all places to see Sooty Shearwater](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/sooty-shearwater) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Sooty Shearwater: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sooty-shearwater)