Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How do shearwaters and diving petrels catch fish and crustaceans?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Procellariiform
Black-browed albatross (Diomedea melanophris).
Shearwaters and diving petrels primarily feed by capturing small fish and crustaceans located near the water's surface. To access their prey, these birds make short dives as necessary.1
While they share this general feeding strategy, diving petrels are anatomically specialized for underwater movement. Unlike the long-winged shearwaters, diving petrels are short-winged and heavy-bodied, allowing them to use their wings for propulsion while swimming underwater, a behavior similar to that of auks.2