Pink-footed Shearwater
Pink-footed Shearwater
Ardenna creatopus
At a Glance
The largest of the shearwaters to be seen commonly off our Pacific Coast, with rather heavy and slow wingbeats, often gliding and wheeling above the waves, especially in windy conditions. May be solitary or mixed randomly with other seabirds, but not seen in pure flocks of its own species. Nesting only on islands off southern South America, it is a common summer visitor to our coastal waters as far north as southeastern Alaska.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Gull-like Birds, Shearwaters and Petrels
IUCN Status
Vulnerable
Habitat
Open Ocean
Region
Alaska and The North, California, Northwest, Western Canada
Behavior
Flap/Glide
Population
40.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Migrates north after breeding, commonly seen off North America's west coast from May to November, with peak numbers in September. A few seen at other seasons at our latitudes are nonbreeders or immatures.
Description
20" (51 cm). W. 43 (109 cm). Gray-brown above, whitish below. Larger, with slower wingbeats than other light-bellied shearwaters off our Pacific Coast. Pink base of bill is easier to see than pink feet.
Size
About the size of a Crow, About the size of a Mallard or Herring Gull
Color
Brown, Gray, Pink, White
Wing Shape
Broad, Long, Pointed, Tapered
Tail Shape
Pointed, Rounded, Short, Wedge-shaped
Songs and Calls
Silent at sea.
Call Pattern
Flat, Undulating
Call Type
Hoot, Odd, Raucous, Scream
Habitat
Open ocean. Mainly found well offshore over relatively shallow waters of continental shelf. Rarely seen from shore, and rarely over deep mid-ocean waters. Nests on islands with soil suitable for nesting burrows.
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Behavior
Eggs
One. White. Both sexes probably incubate; incubation period not known.
Young
Probably fed by both parents during nocturnal visits; age at first flight not known. Young depart nesting islands in April and May.
Feeding Behavior
Forages mostly by plunging into water from flight or diving from surface, and swimming short distance underwater with wings spread; also seizes items while swimming on surface. May follow boats for scraps or offal.
Diet
Includes fish and squid. Diet not well known; in addition to fish and squid, probably eats various crustaceans.
Nesting
Breeding behavior not well known. Nests in colonies on islands far off coast of Chile. Active at colonies mostly at dusk and at night. Adults gather near colonies in September; by October, some two months before eggs are laid, pairs may be resting together in burrows. Mated pairs may call softly in duet, preen each other's head and neck. Nest: Site is in burrow underground, often more than four feet long. Nest chamber may have sparse lining. Most eggs probably laid in early December.
Climate Vulnerability
Conservation Status
Still numerous as a visitor to North American waters. Declining on some of its nesting islands because of the effects of introduced predators, including rats and coatis.