Sooty shearwater
tītī · Ardenna grisea
Uncommon this far north, and mostly seen in summer, offshore with flocks of other shearwaters. Look for a large, all-dark shearwater with silvery underwings.
An occasional visitor rather than a resident.
Story
About 21 million sooty shearwaters breed around New Zealand, mostly from Stewart Island to the subantarctic islands, and as far north as the Three Kings. These are the muttonbirds: on the islands around Rakiura/Stewart Island, Rakiura Māori still harvest about 400,000 chicks each April and May.
Behaviour
Tītī feed in huge flocks, flying into the water at a shallow angle and swimming after fish, squid and krill. Their dives average about 16 m, and birds have been recorded more than 60 m down. After feeding they rest together in big rafts on the sea.