Christmas Shearwater
Puffinus nativitatis
黑鹱
Introduction
A medium-sized shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) of the tropical Central Pacific, belonging to an ancient lineage of small Puffinus species. Its closest living relative is the Galápagos shearwater (P. subalaris). The species nests on remote Pacific islands including the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Tuamotu, Marshall Islands, Kiritimati, and Sala-y-Gómez. It is poorly known due to its remote nesting habits and has not been extensively studied at sea. Outside the breeding season, it ranges across the Pacific Ocean. Classified as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its wide range and considerable numbers, though locally extinct on some islands including Wake Island.
Description
A slender-bodied shearwater, approximately 36 cm long with a wingspan of around 75 cm and weighing about 350 g. The plumage is uniformly dark, generally blackish-grey with a rusty-brown tinge, appearing slightly paler on the underside. The under chin shows some small white edging, and the upperwing coverts have pale fringes. The feet are brown-grey, while the bill and eyes are dark. Both sexes are identical in appearance, and juveniles after fledging resemble adults. Nestlings are covered in dark grey down feathers.
Identification
Similar in appearance to the sooty shearwater (P. griseus) and short-tailed shearwater (P. tenuirostris), but distinguished by dark brown underwings and smaller overall size. The short tail appears pointed rather than blunt, and the feet extend beyond the tail-tip in flight. The species often flies in a leisurely manner characteristic of petrels, using slow, stiff wingbeats, which can lead to confusion with the extremely rare Fiji petrel (Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi). The Christmas shearwater can be distinguished from the Fiji petrel by its bulbous head and typical thin, long shearwater bill, versus the Fiji petrel's slim head and thick bill.
Distribution & Habitat
Breeds on remote islands of the Central Pacific: Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Tuamotu, Marshall Islands, Kiritimati, and Sala-y-Gómez. The species has become locally extinct on Wake Island and several other islands. Outside the breeding season, it ranges widely across the Pacific Ocean, with records from the coast of Mexico and Guatemala in the east to the Bonin Islands in the west. It is rare in southern waters, having been recorded off Fiji only twice, with one observation in early to mid-May.
Behavior & Ecology
Feeds predominantly on squid and fish, particularly flying fish (Exocoetidae) and goatfish (Mullidae). It is highly pelagic and depends on predatory fish such as tuna driving prey to the surface. Uses a combination of the characteristic shearwater 'shearing' flight technique (dynamic soaring) and the plesiomorphic petrel-like flight with slow, leisurely wingbeats. Nests on sandy islands under dense cover such as naupakas and Scaevola, or beneath rock outcroppings. Lays a single white egg, with breeding timing varying by island; some populations breed year-round. Incubation lasts approximately 50 days, and fledging occurs between 60 and 100 days depending on the season.
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its wide range and considerable population numbers. While few specific studies have been conducted, petrels and shearwaters worldwide face threats from fishing, plastic waste ingestion, and habitat degradation. On Laysan Island, introduced rabbits degraded scrub cover, leaving eggs, chicks, and adults vulnerable to overheating, while introduced black rats preyed on eggs and chicks. The 1985 population estimate for Sala-y-Gómez, a nature sanctuary, was approximately 5,000 individuals.
Culture
Known locally as 'ʻaoʻū' in Hawaiian. No additional cultural significance or folklore mentioned in available sources.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Procellariiformes
- Family
- Procellariidae
- Genus
- Puffinus
- eBird Code
- chrshe
Distribution
breeds eastern Polynesian island groups, in Hawaii, Line, Austral, Marquesas, Gambier, Pitcairn, Easter, and Salas y Gomez; ranges westward to Micronesia and eastward to coasts of western Mexico southward to Costa Rica
Data Sources
CBR Notes: 2022年9月14日，台湾宜兰
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.