Shearwaters of The Petrel Station
Tutukaka, New Zealand
Shearwaters are one of the most exciting seabird groups encountered on The Petrel Station seabird tours, from the world’s only breeding population of Buller’s Shearwater to the huge seasonal feeding workups experienced offshore from Tutukaka.
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SHEARWATER SPECIES SEEN
The Petrel Station seabird tours have recorded an exceptional diversity of Shearwater species offshore from Tutukaka, with an impressive mix of local breeding species, seasonal visitors, and scarcer offshore vagrants – showing why this area is such a major seabird hotspot.
In spring and summer, incredible numbers of Buller’s Shearwaters and sometimes Fluttering Shearwaters can gather in huge feeding frenzy workups, creating one of the great seabird spectacles of The Petrel Station seabird tours.
Shearwaters are a big part of the offshore birding experience here and one of the defining groups of seabirds encountered through much of the year.
Below are the Shearwater species recorded on The Petrel Station seabird tours, including when they are most likely to be seen — although, as with all pelagic birding, surprises can always occur outside the usual pattern.
Buller’s Shearwater
SPECIALTY SEABIRD of The Petrel Station
ENDEMIC SPECIES
When seen: September to April (occasionally seen at other times)
Occurrence: Abundant local breeder
Scientific name: Ardenna bulleri
The Poor Knights Islands are the only place in the world where the endemic Buller’s Shearwater breeds, making this one of the defining seabirds of The Petrel Station seabird tours. Because we go past these islands on tour, we regularly encounter them in the thousands through the breeding season.
In spring and summer, Buller’s Shearwaters become a major part of the huge feeding frenzy workups that develop offshore from Tutukaka. At times they gather in the thousands, alongside Fairy Prions and sometimes Fluttering Shearwaters in densely-packed feeding workups to feast on the abundant zooplankton and krill that flood into the area. It is an amazing birdwatching and wildlife spectacle and is one of The Petrel Station seabird tours highlights.
They are a large, striking shearwater, dark brown above with boldly patterned upperwings and clean white underparts. In flight they are very eye-catching and one of the real stars of the local seabird scene.
Little Shearwater
SPECIALTY SEABIRD of The Petrel Station
When seen: May to December (occasionally seen at other times)
Occurrence: Regular local breeder
Scientific name: Puffinus assimilis
Little Shearwaters are the smallest shearwater species regularly encountered in New Zealand, and one of our local specialties of The Petrel Station seabird tours. They are winter breeders and can be seen in good numbers in season, making Northland one of the best places in New Zealand to enjoy them well.
They are dark above and white below with blue legs. Their flight style is distinctive, with a series of quick, stiff wingbeats followed by short glides, usually very low over the ocean surface.
Fluttering Shearwater
ENDEMIC SPECIES
When seen: Year round
Occurrence: Abundant local breeder
Scientific name: Puffinus gavia
Fluttering Shearwaters are a familiar and important part of the local seabird scene, and one of the species most likely to be encountered in good numbers on The Petrel Station seabird tours.
They are a smaller shearwater, dark above and white below, with white ‘saddlebags’ on the flanks. Their flight style is a repeated pattern of quick, stiff wingbeats followed by a glide.
They are local breeders and can sometimes gather in huge numbers, including in the major feeding workups we encounter offshore alongside Fairy Prions and Buller’s Shearwaters.
This is another New Zealand endemic and an important part of our offshore birding experience.
Hutton’s Shearwater
ENDEMIC SPECIES
When seen: September to February
Occurrence: Infrequent visitor
Scientific name: Puffinus huttoni
Hutton’s Shearwater is very similar to Fluttering Shearwater, and can easily be overlooked among the many hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of flutterers we can get in the area. Migration season is usually the best time to look for them.
Compared with Fluttering Shearwater, they tend to show a longer bill, a more hooded appearance, darker underwings, and lack of saddlebags on the flanks. Their flight style is similar too, so sorting them out well can be a satisfying challenge.
This is another New Zealand endemic species.
Streaked Shearwater
FIRST LIVE RECORD in New Zealand!
When seen: November (only encountered once)
Occurrence: Very rare vagrant visitor to New Zealand
Scientific name: Calonectris leucomelas
One of the most exciting examples of what can turn up offshore on The Petrel Station seabird tours is the Streaked Shearwater, when we recorded the first ever live record in New Zealand waters.
This is a stunning brown shearwater with a strongly streaked head, breeding mainly in Japan. It is an exceptionally scarce visitor to New Zealand, but its appearance offshore from Tutukaka shows just how exciting pelagic birding here can be — and why every tour carries the possibility of something truly unexpected turning up.
Flesh-footed Shearwater
When seen: October to May
Occurrence: Common local breeder
Scientific name: Ardenna carneipes
Flesh-footed Shearwaters are beautiful large, all-dark shearwaters with a pale pink bill and feet, and are a regular and often very showy bird on The Petrel Station seabird tours.
They will often hang around the boat for long periods, giving excellent views, and sometimes we’ll get them gathering in quite large numbers which is also an impressive sight.
Pink-footed Shearwater
9th RECORD in New Zealand
When seen: July (only encountered once)
Occurrence: Very rare vagrant visitor to New Zealand
Scientific name: Ardenna creatopus
Pink-footed Shearwater is one of the more remarkable rarities recorded on The Petrel Station seabird tours, and a great example of just how surprising pelagic birding offshore from Tutukaka can be.
This large, stunning shearwater with it’s pink bill and pink feet, breeds only on a couple of small islands off South America. Most migrate north along the west coast of the Americas toward North America, so one appearing this far west in New Zealand waters is an exceptional event.
Any sighting of a Pink-footed Shearwater offshore from Tutukaka is a very special one, and a reminder that even though our seabird tour sare known for exceptional seabird diversity, there is always the chance of really unexpected species turning up.
Short-tailed Shearwater
When seen: October to February
Occurrence: Seasonal migration visitor
Scientific name: Ardenna tenuirostris
Short-tailed Shearwaters are seasonal visitors to our area and can be a very enjoyable species to encounter on tour. They are strong divers and will often plunge or swim to impressive depths in search of food.
They are similar to Sooty Shearwater, but usually show a shorter bill and a more muted underwing. Large populations breed in southern Australia, and birds pass through New Zealand waters on migration.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
SPECIALTY SEABIRD of The Petrel Station
When seen: November to February
Occurrence: Infrequent visitor
Scientific name: Ardenna pacifica
Wedge-tailed Shearwater is one of the trickier and more exciting specialty shearwaters of The Petrel Station seabird tours. We usually only get a handful each year, but offshore from Tutukaka is one of the best places off mainland New Zealand to have a realistic chance of encountering one.
So far, the birds we have recorded have all been the dark morph. They breed in New Zealand’s Kermadec Islands, around 1,000 km to the north, as well as elsewhere in the Pacific. Large, dark, and slender, with a long tapered tail, they are a stunning seabird, and always a very welcome find when one appears.
Sooty Shearwater
When seen: September to March (occasionally seen at other times)
Occurrence: Regular Visitor
Scientific name: Ardenna grisea
Sooty Shearwaters are large, dark shearwaters with a strong silver flash on the underwing and a very distinctive powerful flight style, soaring on long straight wings between bursts of stiff wingbeats.
They breed in huge numbers in New Zealand and elsewhere, and are a regular visitor to our area in small numbers.
This is just one group of the remarkable seabird diversity we’ve recorded on The Petrel Station seabird tours offshore from Tutukaka. Check out the other seabird groups we’ve recorded including Albatross, Petrels, Storm Petrels, Prions, Skuas and Other Seabird Species.
You can also visit our Seasons page for an overview of when different species are most likely to be encountered, and explore our past Tour Reports for a fascinating insight into what can be seen offshore on a seabird tour.
We also recommend the very informative www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz
Want to experience these amazing seabirds for yourself? Join The Petrel Station seabird tours for an unforgettable day offshore.