Shearwater is the name of any of a group of sea birds. The birds vary in length from 10 to 20 inches (25 to 51 centimeters). Shearwaters are brown or grayish-black. Some species (kinds) have white bellies. Shearwaters have short, hooked bills, with tube-shaped nostrils. These birds soar over the waves, flapping their long, slender wings only occasionally. Some fly alone, but others gather in flocks that may include thousands. They eat fish, squids, and small crustaceans.
Shearwaters come to shore only to reproduce, usually on an island. The female lays one large white egg in a hole dug in the ground, or in a concealed spot under rocks. There are many species of shearwaters. One of the best known is the great shearwater, which lives in the Atlantic Ocean from near the Arctic Circle to southern South America and South Africa.
