The short-tailed shearwater, or mutton bird as it is often known, is a member of a group of 60 medium to large seabirds in the family Procellaridae. This family includes species such as petrels and prions. Almost all breed in burrows and, like the albatrosses, are truly impressive oceanic fliers. Adult birds have a wing span of about 1 metre and weigh approximately 500 grams.
Shearwaters are good swimmers and have webbed feet.
Their legs are placed well back on their body and their wings are long and narrow for efficient high speed gliding. These features suit an oceanic existence so the shearwater has difficulty moving on land or taking flight in windless conditions. Shearwaters are often seen floating in large 'rafts' while feeding off the shores of Tasmania. The shearwater was recorded much earlier by members of Captain Cook's Third Expedition in 1778 while sailing in the Arctic Ocean. William Ellis, an artist on the 'Discovery' painted the bird.