Sooty Shearwater
Shearwaters breed only in the southern hemisphere. They fly north in huge numbers, often in seemingly endless streams-- Russian observers living on the Bering Sea coast speak of seeing unbroken streams of shearwaters flying past for days at a time. Shearwaters are often flock together with fulmars in island passes and other areas where strong currents cause ocean upwelling and turbulence. The upwelling brings small crustaceans and other plankton to the sea surface where shearwaters can scoop them up for a meal. But unlike fulmars, shearwaters can make shallow dives up to 10 meters below the surface, propelling themselves with wings and feet in pursuit of small forage fish. Shearwaters are also a common scavenger species, gathering in frantic swarms around fishing vessel to gorge on their fish discards.[1]