Alternative name: Wilson's Shearwater
- Oceanites oceanicus
Identification
Length 7.25" (18 cm), wingspan 16-18" (41-46 cm). Dark blackish brown except for bold U-shaped white rump patch that extends onto flanks, pale carpal bars and underwings. Square tail may appear notched. Long legs extend beyond tail in flight. Relatively short wings. Fluttery, swallow-like flight. Feeding behavior of tapping surface of water with toes while hovering is distinctive.
Distribution
It breeds on the Antarctic coastlines and nearby islands such as the South Shetland Islands. Common in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Open sea.
Behaviour
The diet includes planktonic food items from the ocean surface.
It is nocturnal at the breeding sites to avoid predation by gulls and skuas.
