Birds of North Carolina:
their Distribution and Abundance
Wedge-tailed Shearwater - Ardenna pacifica
Procellariidae Members:
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General Comments This is a very common shearwater of the warmer Pacific and Indian oceans but is essentially absent from the Atlantic Ocean. Thus, a unique record for the Atlantic, or at least the North Atlantic, was one photographed by several dozen people on a pelagic trip off Hatteras (Dare) on 22 May 2021* [Chat 85:122 link]. Numerous photos are on an eBird report and on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery; the record was accepted by the NC BRC in 2022 [Chat 87:23-24 link].
Breeding Status Nonbreeder
NC BRC List Definitive
State Status
U.S. Status
State Rank SA
Global Rank G5
Coastal Plain One record (see above).
Piedmont No records.
Mountains No records.
Finding Tips
1/2*
Attribution LeGrand[2023-05-16], LeGrand[2023-03-15], LeGrand[2022-12-22]