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Newell's Shearwater Puffinus newelli A small,slender shearwater, glossy black on upper parts sharply contrasted with white underneath. From above, white undersides come up on sides of rump giving appearance of white patches above tail. Bill,legs and feet are dark. In flight shows classic shearwater flight with several quick flaps followed by a stiff-winged glide low over the water. A highly pelagic species, Newells' Shearwater can be found in the deepwater regions of the Equatorial countercurrent all year round, to the south (up to 25 degrees N), and east (to about 120 degrees W) of the Hawaiian chain. It breeds only on the mountains of the Hawaiian islands, the most important of which is Kauai and it remains in Hawaiian waters from April through November. The population was estimated at 84,000 individuals from offshore surveys in the mid-1990's. Newell's Shearwaters forage in association with big predatory fish (e.g. tuna), which push smaller prey species up to the surface, enabling the birds to plummet into the schools from their aerial vantage points. They can swim underwater, probably down to 10 meters, and swallow multiple prey items. They are not seen scavenging. Food items are not yet well known, but include fish, plankton and squid. They like to frequent incoming oceanic storm fronts that churn up rich food resources. Trip Reports By Date Sightings Charts Checklist | Pick-up locations | Links Guestbook | Birding on Oahu Our Land Eco-Tours | Bird Books Oahu Nature Tours Phone:(808) 924-2473 Fax: (808) 924-5395  All content and photos on this website are copyrighted and not to be used or distributed without written permission from Oahu Nature Tours, Inc. and Robin W.Baird |
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