Last Updated: December 2, 2009 by Paul Lehman

winter
summer
migration
year round
extralimital range

Range: In North America, accidental off the mid-Atlantic Coast. Added to the ABA Checklist after an individual was observed August 2004 off North Carolina. Breeds on the Cape Verde Islands.

Identification: (Calonectris edwardsii)

Accidental off mid-Atlantic Coast. Adult has brownish wings and head, white underwings with black leading and trailing edges, white underparts, and thin black bill. Once considered a subspecies of Cory's Shearwater. Cory's is larger, with chunkier and longer wings, and has yellow bill.

Length: 40 (cm) Wingspan: 108 (cm)

Habitat:

Open ocean, rarely seen from shore.

Behavior:

Nests on oceanic islands, laying one egg inside crevice among cliffs or rocks. At sea, a strong flier; aerodynamic flight uses air currents off waves. May follow boats to scavenge scraps.

Feeding:

Plunge-dives or picks food from water's surface; eats a variety of fish, squid, other small aquatic organisms, and scraps.

Field Notes

A trip I organized out of Lewes, DE found the second ABA record for this species. When I first observed the bird, it was in silhouette and I called it a Great Shearwater. The bird was obviously smaller than Cory's, more slender winged, the wings did not bow down when in glide, and the bill was significantly thinner than Cory's. A good way to think of this bird is being built like a Great but colored more like a Cory's.

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Citation: Personal Experience. I recently observed this, confidence uncertain at this time.

Expanded Life History

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