Newell's Shearwater

Newell's Shearwater or Hawaiian Shearwater (Puffinus newelli) is a seabird belonging to the genus Puffinus in the family Procellariidae. It belongs to a confusing group of shearwaters which are difficult to identify and whose classification is controversial. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) and is now often placed in Townsend's Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis). It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands as a breeding bird. Its population is declining and it is classed as an endangered species by BirdLife International. It is named after Brother Matthias Newell, a missionary who worked in Hawaii from 1886 to 1924. It is known in Hawaiian as the ʻaʻo.

Description

It is a fairly small shearwater, in length. The wing is long and the tail is . The bird weighs .Ainley et al. (2007), "Measurements" The upperparts are black with a brown tinge while the underparts are white. The dark coloration on the face extends below the eye and is sharply separated from the white throat. There is a white patch on the flanks, extending onto the sides of the rump. The underwings are mainly white with a dark border. The undertail-coverts have a black and white pattern and appear white in the field. The bill is dark grey or brown and the legs and feet are mainly pale pink. The bird flies low over the...
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