Puffinus newelli
The Newell's Shearwater (Puffinus newelli), known as 'A'o in Hawaiian, is a medium-sized seabird belonging to the order Procellariiformes, closely related to the Hawaiian and Townsend's Shearwaters. Measuring approximately 30-33 cm in length with a wingspan of 76-89 cm, this pelagic species exhibits a striking bicolored plumage: glossy black or dark brownish-black upperparts that contrast sharply with pristine white underparts. Distinctive field marks include the clean white flanks extending ...
Breeding takes place in remote, high-elevation montane forests on steep slopes, often with dense vegetation, in the Hawaiian Islands. During the non-breeding season, they are entirely pelagic, inhabiting tropical and subtropical open ocean environments.
Primarily feeds on small fish, squid, and crustaceans, which it captures through pursuit-diving, plunge-diving, and surface-seizing in open ocean waters.
Newell's Shearwaters are largely nocturnal when on land, returning to their breeding burrows under the cover of darkness to avoid aerial predators, while remaining diurnal and highly gregarious at sea. They are highly pelagic foragers, employing plunge-diving, surface-seizing, and pursuit-diving ...
The Newell's Shearwater is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands for breeding, primarily found on the island of Kauaʻi, with smaller numbers on Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, and Molokaʻi. Breeding colonies are established in high-elevation montane forests, typically ranging from 300 to over 2,000 meters (1,000...
Vulnerable
- Known as 'A'o by native Hawaiians, its Hawaiian name is an onomatopoeia for its distinctive call. - Unlike most seabirds, they nest high up in mountainous forests, often at elevations exceeding 1,500 meters (5,000 feet). - Young birds making their first flight are highly vulnerable to disorient...