Short-tailed Shearwater [Ardenna tenuirostris]
Description
The Short-tailed Shearwater is a medium-sized seabird that is uniformly sooty-brown, with a pale silver-grey bill and pale pink feet. The species exhibits a short tail, visible in flight, which gives the bird its name. It is a migratory species that breeds in Australia between September and April, and spends the rest of the year in the North Pacific Ocean. They feed on a range of marine organisms, including fish, squid and krill, which they catch by diving and pursuit swimming. They are known for their 'rafting' behaviour where large groups gather on the water at dawn and dusk.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Chordates
Chordata
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Birds
Aves
|
| Order |
Albatrosses, Petrels, and Shearwaters
Procellariiformes
|
| Family |
Shearwaters and Petrels
Procellariidae
|
| Genus |
Short-tailed Shearwaters
Puffinus
|