Great Shearwater
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Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Open Atlantic (autumn).
Diet: Fish, squid.
Best time to spot: Capped head; from South Atlantic.
When to look
Scarce or local in the UK. Timing varies by region, so check recent sightings before you travel. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.
How rare is it?
The Great Shearwater sits in our Rare tier for the UK: scarce or very local, so most birders need a planned trip. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.
Where to see it
Reserves where the Great Shearwater is on the list:
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Sooty ShearwaterRare · Open Atlantic (autumn passage)
- Long-tailed SkuaRare · Open sea (autumn passage)
- Cory's ShearwaterRare · South-west approaches (autumn)
- American Golden PloverRare · Coastal turf (autumn passage)
- Balearic ShearwaterRare · South coast (autumn)
- Black KiteRare · Open country (passage)
Kit that helps
Bird ID starter kit. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.
Log a Great Shearwater in your free UK Birdedex