Short-tailed Shearwater

Identification

The short-tailed shearwater is one of the larger shearwater species, characterized by its slender black bill and predominantly dark plumage. It shares similarities with the sooty and great shearwaters, all belonging to the genus Ardenna—a group distinguished by their blunt tails and black bills. When fledglings take to the air, they can weigh around 900 grams, sometimes heavier than their parents, making them substantial seabirds for their genus.

Range & Habitat

The short-tailed shearwater is the most abundant seabird species in Australian waters. It breeds mainly on small islands in Bass Strait and Tasmania, with the world's largest population—approximately 2.8 million pairs, representing about 12% of the global species—concentrated on Babel Island. This migratory species undertakes an extraordinary annual journey: each austral winter, the birds migrate to the seas off the Aleutian Islands and Kamchatka in the Northern Hemisphere, returning in austral spring via the coast of California before crossing the Pacific back to Australia.

Behaviour & Diet

Short-tailed shearwaters are ocean-dwelling birds that forage across vast distances. Each parent feeds a single chick for 2–3 days before departing on foraging trips lasting up to three weeks, covering distances of up to 1,500 kilometers. This means chicks may be left unattended for more than a week at a time. Unfortunately, adult birds foraging on the open ocean sometimes mistake plastic debris for food and inadvertently feed contaminated items to their chicks, contributing to pollution impacts on the species.

Best Time & Places to See It

The best opportunity to observe short-tailed shearwaters is around the Australian coast during the breeding season when birds return from their Northern Hemisphere migration. Tasmania and the Furneaux Group islands, particularly areas around muttonbird colonies, offer reliable sightings. However, birdwatchers should be aware that fledgling season brings a conservation concern: thousands of young birds are attracted to artificial lights during their maiden ocean flights and are vulnerable to collisions with human infrastructure.

Photography Tips

Photographing short-tailed shearwaters presents challenges typical of pelagic seabirds. Patient observation from coastal vantage points or dedicated boat trips during migration periods offers the best opportunities. The birds' dark coloration and ocean habitat require careful exposure metering to capture detail in their plumage. Early morning or late afternoon light often provides the most flattering angles for capturing these dynamic fliers.