Short-tailed Shearwater

Short-tailed Shearwater
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Ardenna tenuirostris

Malay Name: Itik-itik Ekor Pendek Pasifik

Chinese Name: 短尾鹱

Alternative Name(s): Muttonbird

Range: Breeds in SE Australia and wanders north into the Pacific Ocean outside breeding season

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 41-43 cm

Identification: Overall dark sooty-brown plumage with pale chin, slightly paler breast and belly, prominent whitish area at the centre of underwing and toes extend beyond tip of short tail when in flight.

Similar looking species: Bulwer's Petrel, Wedge-tailed Shearwater

Habitat: Open seas

Behaviour/Ecology: Flight direct, consisting of a flapping rise followed by a long downward glide.

Local Status: Rare migrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2018)

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Short-tailed Shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Early date 24 Apr 2021
Late date 29 May 2021
Best seen in April and May, when this species migrates through the Singapore Straits annually.

References:

BirdLife International. (2018). Ardenna tenuirostris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22698216A132635686.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

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