Newell's Shearwater

Overview

Newell's shearwater, or Hawaiian shearwater, is a fairly small seabird in the family Procellariidae and the only seabird endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN due to a severe decline in its population.

Identification

• Upperparts are black with a brown tinge, while underparts are white.
• A dark colouration on the face extends below the eye, sharply separated from the white throat.
• Flanks feature a white patch that extends onto the sides of the rump, and underwings are mainly white with a dark border.
• Legs and feet are mainly pale pink, and the bird utters a donkey-like braying call around breeding areas.

Habitat

Breeding colonies are located on mountain slopes in the Hawaiian Islands, particularly on Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, and the island of Hawaiʻi. During the breeding season from April to November, the birds are found in waters around the Hawaiian Islands, but they disperse into the tropical Pacific Ocean outside this period.

Diet

It feeds in deep water far from land on a diet that includes squid and small fish. The bird dives to a depth of up to 10 metres using its wings to move forward, and is often attracted to schools of tuna to catch prey driven to the surface.

Did you know?

Native Hawaiians regarded the bird's haunting song as an omen of death. Its Hawaiian name, 'ʻaʻo', is derived directly from the sound of this call.