Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Overview
Wedge-tailed Shearwater Dark Morph: Large shearwater, dark brown overall with black-tipped, dark gray bill. Tail is long and pointed in flight and extends past the pink legs and feet, fans to wedge-shaped when banking turns or landing. The dark morph form is most often seen off the Pacific Coast.
Range and Habitat
Wedge-tailed Shearwater Dark Morph: Breeds widely in tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Pelagic, comes ashore only to breed.
INTERESTING FACTS
The Wedge-tailed Shearwater was first described in 1789 by Johan Friedrich Gmelin, a German naturalist.
An alternate common name is the Pacific Shearwater, and it is one of the species that is sometimes referred to as a Muttonbird.
They are monogamous, forming long term pair bonds that last for several years. Divorce between pairs occurs after breeding seasons that end in failure.
A group of shearwaters are collectively known as an "improbability" of shearwaters.
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