Great Shearwater vs Hutton's Shearwater

Ardenna gravis compared with Puffinus huttoni

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Great Shearwater Hutton's Shearwater
Scientific Name Ardenna gravis Puffinus huttoni
Order Procellariiformes Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae Procellariidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Endangered
Length
Wingspan 63.6 cm (25.0 in) 41.8 cm (16.5 in)
Weight 832.5 g (29.37 oz) 345.4166666666667 g (12.18 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1 1
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Great Shearwater only

None

Hutton's Shearwater only

None

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Great Shearwater

Endangered

Hutton's Shearwater

About These Birds

Great Shearwater

43–51 cm, wingspan 105–122 cm. Large; dark brown above with white underparts, dark cap, and distinctive scaly pattern on upperwing. Breeds Tristan da Cunha, Gough, and Falklands; migrates to North Atlantic. Feeds on fish and squid; spectacular post-breeding migration past UK coasts.

Hutton's Shearwater

38 cm. Dark above; white below; larger than Fluttering Shearwater. Breeds only in alpine zone of Kaikoura Ranges, South Island, New Zealand. Endangered; very restricted inland breeding range unique among shearwaters; feeds at sea in Tasman Sea and off south Australia.

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family