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Short-tailed Shearwater
The Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris, also commonly known as the muttonbird in Australia, is the most abundant seabird species in Australia, and they are one of the few Australian native birds that is commercially harvested. They are a migratory species they breed in Australia and migrate to the northern hemisphere for the northern summer.
Each parent feeds the chick for 2ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢â∠â3 days and then leaves for up to three weeks in search of food. These foraging trips can cover a distance of 15,000 km (9,300 mi) and mean the chick may be left unattended for over a week. When the time the chicks have reached independence they weigh around 900 g (2 lb), and may be heavier than their parents. The young are killed for food and oil.
Each winter, the mutton birds migrate to the Aleutian Islands and Kamchatka peninsula. In the spring, the mutton birds travel down the coast of California before crossing the Pacific back to Australia.
External links
*Birds of Tasmania
* Port Fairy's site on shearwaters
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