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New England Seabirds - Shearwaters   Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus

Sooty Shearwater photo by Jim Besada on NH Audubon spring 2012 trip out of Rye Harbor, NH.

Where To See
You can see the Sooty Shearwater from April to September on Stellwagen Bank. Usually arrives before Greater Shearwater and leaves a bit earlier. It is also south of the Cape and north into Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Prefers colder water. Not seen in the warm eddies south of Cape Cod.

Breeds
Southern hemisphere off the tip of South America at Staten, Wollaston, and Deceit Island near Cape Horn. Also off Australia and New Zeland. Most disperse in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Ocean.

All Dark
Most animals that live in the sea follow the same pattern:  dark on top, light underneath.  This coloration is protective because when a predator swimming under the animal looks up, light under parts blend in with the light from above.   From above it is just the opposite, dark color blends with the deep dark water and protects the prey.

The Sooty Shearwater is one bird that does not follow this rule.  Except for the white wing linings, the Sooty Shearwater is all dark on top and bottom.
 

Behavior Sits on the water in flocks. Attracted by chum, but not usually a ship follower. Dives from surface and swims underwater with wings.   Identification Easy to identify on the east coast because you do not need to separate from Short-tailed  and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. When sitting on the water it is an all dark shearwater. Photo by Scott Spangenberg.

Slightly smaller than Greater Shearwater on the left, the Sooty shows no white when sitting on the water.

The underwing shows white wing linings which are variable in size and shape, but usually continuous. Compare this bird with the one at the top of the page.
	This underwing shot of another bird shows a different pattern to the wing linings. Photo by Glen Tepke.  Bird appears to be molting notice loss of right wing feathers.