Petrels and Shearwaters

Most petrels and shearwaters nest on isolated islands in the southern oceans, some as far south as Antarctica. Several species, however, breed in Hawaii, the northwestern United States (including Alaska), Maine, and Canada. These birds frequently range far from their birthplace, covering thousands of miles in an endless search for food. The greater shearwater, for example, nests on the Tristan da Cunha islands in the South Atlantic Ocean but may be found in the North Atlantic from Florida to Newfoundland during the northern summer. Other species may spend months circumnavigating the Pacific.