Appearance:

Large shearwater with distinct, marked, dark cap and white collar. Blotched belly and underwings. White upper tail-coverts forms a horseshoe mark, but note that Cory's Shearwater may show the same. Dark patch at side of neck. Bill dark. Flight action powerful, with alternating glides and rapid bursts of beats with stiff wings. Seldom soars.

Sound:

Calls at breeding ground a deep, soft, moaning "oooh-aahh" ("surprised or shocked old lady"). Tone fairly clear, and pitch rising and falling.

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC

Appearance:

Occurs in dark and pale morph. Plumage recalling gulls more than shearwaters (especially pale morph). Differs from shearwaters in white or pale head, compact body, short and heavy bill and broad wings. Flight pattern distinguishes it from gulls, and is similar to other tubenoses. Glides on stiff wings with occasional bursts of shallow and stiff wing-beats. Pale base of primaries visible at considerable distance in both dark and pale morph. Dark morph most common in high-arctic areas, pale morph most common in southern breeding range.

Sound:

Mostly heard on breeding ground. Coarse, harsh, staccato calls when courting or quarrelling.

Social interaction:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Stein Ø. Nilsen,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license