Heinroth’s Shearwater
Photo: James Eaton · CC0

Petrels, Shearwaters, and Diving Petrels

Heinroth’s Shearwater

Puffinus heinrothi

VUVulnerable
Family
Petrels, Shearwaters, and Diving Petrels (Procellariidae)
Order
Procellariiformes

Overview

Heinroth's shearwater (Puffinus heinrothi) is a poorly known seabird in the family Procellariidae. Probably a close relative of the little shearwater or Audubon's shearwater (with which it is sometimes considered conspecific), it is distinguished by a long and slender bill and a brown-washed underside.
This species is restricted to the seas around the Bismarck Archipelago and northern Solomon Islands. The breeding sites of the species have never been found, although reports of individuals (including recently fledged chicks) on Bougainville and Kolombangara strongly suggest that they breed there, possibly high in the mountains (an inference based on the breeding behaviour of close relatives).

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Presumably breeds montane Bougainville, Kolombangara, and Rendova (northern and west-central Solomon Islands); non-breeders range westward to Flores, Moluccan seas, and Bismarck Archipelago.

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.