Shearwaters & Petrels

Hundreds of millions of shearwaters and petrels spread out every year after breeding, following oceanic currents in great loops that span the Earth. These masters of dynamic soaring, varying in size from the thrush-sized prions to the albatross-sized giant petrels, can cover the oceans more efficiently than anything human-engineered. With diets and habits as diverse as their sizes, and an exquisite sense of smell typical of many in this order, these mariners can find planktonic prey across the featureless main. The same olfactory acuity guides them to their individual nesting burrows among many thousands of others. That they come back home with such precision has allowed the diversification of species across the islands of the world.