Short-tailed Shearwater

Short-tailed shearwater is a dark Australian-breeding seabird that passes New Zealand during an immense annual circuit of the Pacific. It is uniformly dark brown with a short rounded tail, compact head and narrow wings. Sooty shearwater is slightly larger, longer-tailed and often shows brighter silvery underwing panels.

It breeds in huge colonies around Tasmania and south-eastern Australia and migrates north through the Pacific, appearing around New Zealand mainly on passage. Dense flocks dive for krill, fish and squid, using both wings and feet underwater; birds can descend tens of metres.

Short-tailed shearwater is classed as a Migrant in the NZ Threat Classification: it breeds in Australia and passes New Zealand on migration. Offshore trips may encounter passage flocks, but numbers and timing vary; storm-driven birds are sometimes found on beaches.