Buller's Shearwater

Buller's Shearwater

Puffinus bulleri

Silhouette: Juan Carlos Jerí · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Auckland

In 3 days <5%

8 Verified sightings at Auckland
94 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Buller's Shearwater

Buller's shearwater (Ardenna bulleri) is a Pacific species of seabird in the family Procellariidae; it is also known as the grey-backed shearwater or New Zealand shearwater. A member of the black-billed wedge-tailed Thyellodroma group, among the larger shearwaters of the genus Ardenna, it forms a superspecies with the wedge-tailed shearwater (A. pacificus).

Adults birds are 46–47 cm (18–19 in) in length, with a 97–99 cm (38–39 in) wingspan, and have been recorded to weigh 342–425 g (12.1–15.0 oz). The upperside of Buller's shearwater is bluish grey. A blackish stripe runs from the tertiary remiges to the primary wing coverts. The primary remiges are blackish, also; the two black areas do not meet at the hand, however; the area between them is a rather light grey, and under bright light may appear almost white. With the bird facing upwards, the pattern gives the impression of a broken black "M", with light grey interspersing areas.

The underside is bright white; on the head the upperside's grey extends town to eye height and the white cheeks may shine up conspicuously, as in the smaller shearwaters of Puffinus sensu stricto. The rectrices are blackish and the tail... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:09

New Zealand · 2019

© Spencer McIntyre · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
<5%
2 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Auckland 🇳🇿 New Zealand
<5%
2 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Buller's Shearwater in Auckland?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Buller's Shearwater sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 90th most-seen of the 93 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Buller's Shearwater in Auckland?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Buller's Shearwater in Auckland on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Buller's Shearwater?

Between 1 and 4 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Buller's Shearwater sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Auckland the best place to see a Buller's Shearwater?

Yes

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Buller's Shearwater sightings, Auckland has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come San Diego (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Buller's Shearwater sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Buller's Shearwater is recorded against all the birds logged in Auckland (8 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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