Flesh-footed shearwater
A seabird of the Indo-Pacific, threatened by plastic ingestion and bycatch.
The flesh-footed shearwater (Ardenna carneipes), sometimes called the sable shearwater, is a medium-to-large seabird found mostly across the Indo-Pacific. It has black feathers, pale pinkish feet, and a light-colored bill tipped with black. Along with the similar pink-footed shearwater, it belongs to the Hemipuffinus group—a superspecies that may or may not share an Atlantic relative in the great shearwater. These larger shearwaters are part of the genus Ardenna. Genetic research points to strong differences between Pacific colonies and those in South and Western Australia, likely due to philopatry and different feeding habits during breeding season.
A 2021 molecular study found very little genetic difference between the flesh-footed and pink-footed shearwaters, suggesting they might be considered the same species. The bird breeds in colonies, with two main regions: one in the southwest Pacific (Lord Howe Island with 22,654 pairs, South Australia with about 1,800 pairs on two islands, and northern New Zealand with 13,000 pairs), and another along Western Australia’s coast from Cape Leeuwin to the Recherche Archipelago, where up to 36,000 pairs nest on 42 islands. An additional 500 pairs breed on St Paul Island in the Indian Ocean. A reported sighting on Astola Island, Pakistan, in the Arabian Sea remains unconfirmed. Populations appear to be declining across much of the range. The species is listed as near threatened in Australia and nationally vulnerable in New Zealand, and has been recommended for protection under the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. At the state level, it is vulnerable in Western Australia and New South Wales, and rare in South Australia.
The flesh-footed shearwater visits the North Pacific Ocean as a boreal summer visitor, where large numbers may be caught as fishery bycatch. It also faces climate-related impacts and significant heavy metal contamination, likely from ingesting plastic debris mistaken for floating food. In 2024, the alternative name sable shearwater was proposed.
- Scientific name
- Ardenna carneipes
- Alternative name
- sable shearwater (proposed 2024)
- Group
- Hemipuffinus superspecies
- Plumage
- black with pale pinkish feet
- Bill
- pale with distinct black tip
- Conservation status
- near threatened in Australia, nationally vulnerable in New Zealand
- Breeding range
- southwest Pacific Ocean and Western Australia
Lore & Background
The flesh-footed shearwater breeds in colonies, with two main breeding areas. One in the southwest Pacific Ocean includes Lord Howe Island (22,654 pairs), South Australia (about 1,800 pairs breeding on two islands), and northern New Zealand (13,000 pairs). The other population comprises no more than 36,000 pairs breeding on 42 islands along the coast of Western Australia from Cape Leeuwin to the Recherche Archipelago. Another 500 pairs breed on St Paul Island in the Indian Ocean. A record of birds on Astola Island of Pakistan in the Arabian Sea is unconfirmed.
Reader's Guide
The flesh-footed shearwater is significant as a seabird species facing multiple anthropogenic threats. Recent evidence suggests populations are declining across much of the species' range. The species occurs as a boreal summer visitor in the North Pacific Ocean, where potentially large numbers are taken as bycatch in fisheries. The species also suffers from climate-related impacts and significant heavy metal contamination, the cause of which is not fully understood, but is likely due to the ingestion of significant quantities of plastic, which the birds mistake for food floating on the ocean surface. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2021 found very little genetic difference between the flesh-footed shearwater and the pink-footed shearwater, suggesting these two taxa might be better considered as conspecific. Recent genetic analysis indicates evidence of strong divergence between Pacific colonies relative to those in South and Western Australia, thought to be explained by philopatry and differences in foraging strategies during the breeding season. The species has been recommended for listing under the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.
Did You Know?
- The flesh-footed shearwater has pale pinkish feet and a pale bill with a distinct black tip.
- A 2021 molecular phylogenetic study suggested the flesh-footed and pink-footed shearwaters might be considered conspecific.
- The species suffers from significant heavy metal contamination, likely due to ingestion of plastic.
- In 2024, the alternative name sable shearwater was proposed.
More in Birds of the Indian Ocean 1-24
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