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Aves - Neognathae - Procellariiformes - Procellariidae - Puffinus - Puffinus griseus

Sternum (Breast Bone) of a Puffinus griseus (Sooty Shearwater)

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Species Description
The Sooty Shearwater is a small seabird, breeding on small islands of the south Pacific, mainly New Zealand, the Falklands, and Tierra del Fuego. Known as “titi” in Maori, its name comes from its shearing flight, dipping side to side on stiff wings with the wingtips almost touching the water. The Sooty Shearwater feeds on fish and squid, feeding mostly at the surface; its long bill has a hook tip and sharp blades to better handle slippery fish. It can also dive up to 70m deep for food, plunging into the water from the air and using its wing to propel itself in a dive. The Sooty Shearwater is an extreme long-distance migrant, making a clockwise loop around the Pacific (with sub-Arctic visits in June/July, returning to breed in the south around November); tagging experiments show that it can travel around 74,000km a year.
Skeletal Elements Available

Left Tarsometatarsus (Left Fused Element Consisting of Ankle and Middle Foot Bones)

Sternum (Breast Bone)

External Links
Animal Diversity Web Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Sooty Shearwater Page