[[Image:Short-tailed_shearwater.jpg|thumb|300px|Short-tailed shearwater on the wing]]'''Short-tailed shearwaters''' (''Puffinus griseus'' and ''Puffinus tenuirostris'') are closely-related species of aquatic [[bird]]s. Shearwaters are members of the Procellariidae family, known as the "tube-noses." All the birds in this family have a prominent tube on the top of their bill that excretes extra salt from the bird’s body. Shearwaters look similar to [[northern fulmars]], but are much darker and have thinner, more pointed wings and a generally slimmer appearance. The name "shearwater" is a poetic description of their flight over water- they soar with minimum effort across the ocean surface- the strongest winds and angriest waves seem to only improve their flying. | [[Image:Short-tailed_shearwater.jpg|thumb|300px|Short-tailed shearwater on the wing]]'''Short-tailed shearwaters''' (''Puffinus griseus'' and ''Puffinus tenuirostris'') are closely-related species of aquatic [[bird]]s. Shearwaters are members of the Procellariidae family, known as the "tube-noses." All the birds in this family have a prominent tube on the top of their bill that excretes extra salt from the bird’s body. Shearwaters look similar to [[northern fulmars]], but are much darker and have thinner, more pointed wings and a generally slimmer appearance. The name "shearwater" is a poetic description of their flight over water- they soar with minimum effort across the ocean surface- the strongest winds and angriest waves seem to only improve their flying. |