Puffinus griseus
Other names - Oi-i, Hakoakoa, Totorore,
Ghostbird, Muttonbird, Southern Muttonbird, New Zealand Muttonbird,
King Muttonbird, Sombre Petrel, Sooty Petrel.
Identification - 43 cm (17 in.). A dark
coloured shearwater with a variably coloured underwing which ranges
from black to light grey. Flight consists of series of rapid wing
beats interspersed with long glides.
Similar species - The Short-tailed Shearwater
is a similar bird but when the two species are seen together, the
Short-tailed Shearwater is somewhat smaller with darker underwings
and a shorter bill.
Range - Abundant summer resident sometimes
to be found in large aggregations in the waters off the South and
Stewart Islands. Breeds on the Banks and Otago Peninsulas and in
very large numbers on the islands off Stewart Island. Migrates in
winter to the North Pacific.
Status - Abundant.
Where to see - In coastal South Island waters
and in Foveaux Strait.
Notes - This is the most commonly harvested
'muttonbird', being taken in its hundreds of thousands annually
by the southern Maori.
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