Appearance:

A large shearwater with pale upperparts and heavy, yellowish bill. Large grey head. The grey neck forms a diagnostic, contrasting line from wing base to base of bill (most other shearwaters have white neck-sides). Armpits usually pure white. Underside of wings white, framed by black flight feathers. Flight action calm and distinct. Long glides alternates with 3-4 slow wingbeats. Wingtips always bent downwards, and wings slightly angled back. Often soars. Differs from Fulmar in dark tail, grey head, long, narrow wings and longer bill. The two subspecies C. diomedea and C. borealis, are somtimes treated as different species. Field identification of these usually impossible, and requires ideal conditions. Hand of borealis is darker due to no white fringes to primaries. In diomedea the white in the coverts extends in a white wedge into the hand, through the base of the primaries.

Sound:

Very vocal at breeding ground. Calls with a very nasal, comical, mewing "ke-kooeee", ending with falling pitch, like a releasing sigh or moan. Sometimes reltively pure, other times very hoarse and raucous.

At breeding ground (C. d. borealis):

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

CC-sound:James Bradley, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Hans Verdaat, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Fairly large warbler with long tail, giving the whole bird an elongated look. Tertials, secondaries and coverts with rufous fringes in contrast to greyish brown back. Underparts pale with buff flanks. Outer tail feathers white. Steep forehead and white throat. Males with slate grey head.

Sound:

Variable. Usually recognized by fairly concise phrase, usually with three ascending and descending parts. Often ends with more indistinct mimicry, or subsong. May omit characteristic phrase and sing more cryptic for periods of time, and may be more difficult to identify. Warning call a harsh, drawn "weeet", usually with accented ending, sometimes rising abruptly in pitch.

Alarm call, song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

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