Shearwaters

Birds of North America

Procellariidae

Lives, Habitats & Pictures of the Shearwaters

There are at least 15 types of shearwaters that have been identified in the oceans surrounding the continent of North America. Shearwaters are members of the tubenose family, where the nostrils are in the form as two tubes seen on the top of their upper bill. Shearwaters are pelagic in nature, returning to land masses to nest and raise their young or driven in to the coast by high wind or storms. These birds are seen on the open ocean in large flocks, seen feeding on schools of fish, that they have found from searching the ocean surfaces. The plumage of all shearwaters are common in colour, mostly grey, black or brown backs and white under sides, except in some species such as the Sooty Shearwater, Flesh-footed Shearwater and the Short-tailed Shearwater to name a few, that have dark backs and dark undersides.

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Audubon's Shearwater