Buller's Shearwater

Overview
Buller’s Shearwater: Medium shearwater, gray upperparts, white underparts. Head has white face, black cap, black bill. Tail is black. Legs and feet are pink. Dark gray M-pattern is visible across upperwings and back in flight. Alternates deep steady wing beats with long glides. Soars in high winds.

Range and Habitat
Buller's Shearwater: Breeds on islands near New Zealand; summer visitor to north Pacific, appearing off west coast from Aleutian Islands south to California. Pelagic, comes ashore only to breed.

INTERESTING FACTS
In flight, the Buller's Shearwater is more graceful than other shearwaters, flapping less and gliding more. Some have been known to nest in burial caves and may use human bones as nest material. When taking off from the nesting colony, they may climb into trees to take flight more easily. A group of shearwaters are collectively known as an "improbability" of shearwaters.