Pink-footed shearwater at its breeding colony in Chile

Pink-footed shearwater in its breeding colony in Chile. USGS scientists have been tracking pink-footed shearwaters with satellite transmitters since 2006, revealing the migration patterns shown in the graphic below. While the pink-footed shearwater can be found off the Pacific Coast as far north as Alaska during our summertime, it nests only on three islands off the coast of Chile, during the Southern Hemisphere's summer. Even though they roam widely the rest of the year, those islands are critical to the pink-footed shearwater’s survival. Tracking the pink-footed shearwater has allowed researchers to identify potential threats to the species in different parts of their range.