Bird Goggles

Puffinus griseus

Length: 17″ Width: 40″ Weight: 1.7 pounds (780 grams)

The Sooty Shearwater makes hails from the warm nesting ground waters of the southern Atlantic and can be seen all the way up to the colder northern Atlantic waters near Canada. The Sooty Shearwater is the Shearwater that is most likely to be seen from land. Like the Greater Shearwater it is generally only found in the north from May until June, with some birds lingering around until October. The Sooty Shearwater can be seen alone or in small groups, and hunts for fish and squid in the ocean. The Sooty Shearwater is the only all-dark Shearwater found in the Northeastern Americas. This bird is nearly all brow, except for a small slivery panel in the center of each wing.

September 6th, 2008 | Category: Eastern North America, Shearwater | Leave a comment

Puffinus gravis

Length: 18″ Width: 32″ Weight: 1.7 Pounds (825 grams)

The Greater Shearwater is generally found on the cooler ocean waters of the northern Atlantic from May until July or in some cases until October, but can also be found near the southern United States of Florida and Texas, especially in the winter and early spring months. The Greater Shearwater nets in the warmer waters of the southern Atlantic and rests in flocks. Their diet consists mainly of fish and squid found in the ocean. The Greater Shearwater has a very distinctive cap on its head, and bird is a dark grayish brown color when viewed from above, and has a light colored body with black around the edges of its wings with a silvery panel near the center of each wing, when viewed from below, and a dark colored tail.

September 6th, 2008 | Category: Eastern North America, Shearwater | Leave a comment

Puffinus lherminieri

Length: 12″ Width: 27″ Weight: 6 Ounces (180 grams)

The small Audubon’s Shearwater is the smallest Shearwater in the Northeastern Americas, and is commonly found near the warm Gulf and Atlantic waters of the southeastern United States. The Audubon’s Shearwater can either be found flying solo or in small groups, and nests with these same small groups. The Audubon’s diet consists mainly of squid and small oceanic fish. This bird is much smaller than Manx Shearwater, but very similarly colored, the difference is that the Audubon’s Shearwater has longer tail feathers and small white spots around the eyes. This bird also keeps low and fast along the water’s surface when in flight.

September 6th, 2008 | Category: Eastern North America, Shearwater | Leave a comment

Puffinus puffinus

Length: 14″ Width: 33″ Weight: 1 Pound (450 grams)

Maxnx Shearwaters tend to keep away from cold ocean waters, so they are less common in the northern Atlantic. The Manx Shearwater is generally a solitary bird, but occasionally they will travel in pairs or in small flocks, and usually will roost in open water in small flocks as well. The Manx Shearwater’s diet generally consists of small fish found in the oceans. This bird has a fairly polar look; viewed from above the bird is almost completely black except for a small smudge on the side of its neck, viewed from below the bird is almost completely white, except for the tips of its wings which are black above and below. The Manx Shearwater has a very quick wing beat.

September 6th, 2008 | Category: Eastern North America, Shearwater | Leave a comment