Puffinus nativitatis
The Christmas Shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) is a striking, medium-sized seabird known for its uniformly dark, sooty-brown plumage, which can appear almost black at a distance. Measuring approximately 33-38 cm (13-15 inches) in length with a wingspan of 75-80 cm (30-31 inches) and weighing 300-400 grams, it exhibits a compact build with a short, wedge-shaped tail. Its diagnostic field marks include its overall dark coloration, which lacks any contrasting white on the underparts, and its ch...
Exclusively pelagic, spending almost its entire life at sea over tropical and subtropical oceans, returning to remote oceanic islands, atolls, and rocky islets solely for breeding.
Feeds primarily on small fish (especially flying fish larvae), squid, and crustaceans, typically caught by surface-seizing or shallow-plunging from the ocean surface.
Christmas Shearwaters are primarily diurnal at sea, actively foraging during daylight hours, but become strictly nocturnal when visiting breeding colonies to avoid aerial predators like frigatebirds. They employ surface-seizing and shallow-plunge diving techniques to catch prey, often associating...
The Christmas Shearwater is widely distributed across the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean. Its extensive breeding range encompasses numerous remote oceanic islands and atolls. Significant breeding colonies are found in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (e.g., Laysan, Tern Island, French Fr...
Least Concern
- The Christmas Shearwater is named after Christmas Island (Kiritimati) in the Pacific, one of its primary breeding locations, rather than the holiday itself. - Unlike many other shearwaters, this species is entirely dark-plumaged, lacking any white on its underparts, making it distinctive in its...