[2] The colour of birds close to moulting (February to April) is pale rusty brown and they appear ragged at this stage.

[5] Fluttering shearwaters are an endemic species to New Zealand, where they breed throughout the warmer months of the year, from September to February.

However, during the non-breeding months of the year, between March and August, vast numbers are seen throughout eastern and south–eastern Australia, though most seem to linger close to the breeding colonies.

[6] It is suspected that it is the juveniles that migrate, whereas the adults stay confined to the rich waters of New Zealand;[7] however, this is not fully understood.

[9] They usually select stony, scrub-covered slopes near the peak, as well as cracks and holes in the rock far from the water to breed, which is a benefit for taking off.

[6] Young birds are frequently fed daily by their parents by incomplete ruminate and chicks leave their colonies at night.

[15] Chicks are easily attacked because parents usually leave baby birds alone after hatching, only returning to burrows to feed them after long intervals.

The date of moulting for immature birds in South Australia is four to five months ahead of the adults in New Zealand.

It is suspected that it is only the juveniles that take part in this migration, with the adults remaining within New Zealand and staying within a relatively close proximity to the colonies.

A large group of fluttering shearwaters gather together and sit on the water in rafts through the months of mid-December, January and February.

The action of marine currents often concentrates large quantities of prey, such as crustacean, krill and schooling fish, within a close distance to the surface of the water.

This allows the shearwater to simultaneously swim atop the water whilst having its head submerged underwater, in an attempt to catch prey.

[17] Many members of the genus Puffinus have evolved to have heavier wing loadings in order to aid them in pursuing prey to greater depths underneath the water.

[18] With the ever looming problem that is climate change facing the planet, the progressive rise of sea temperatures could have detrimental effects on fluttering shearwater populations, as it could possibly out-synchronise the breeding season with that of the feeding season, leaving not only chicks but also adults with a lack of a dependable food source, resulting in potential mass starvation.

[6] However, as they commonly search for food in flocks, they are frequently trapped in fishing gear in inshore sea areas.

In October 2011, a container ship Rena was stranded in the Bay of Plenty and more than 240 fluttering shearwaters were killed by the spilled oil.

[6] Anthropogenic pollution is copious throughout the planet's oceans and it is also commonly mistaken as a potential food source by animals such as the fluttering shearwater.

Reportedly, 50% of the world's seabird species have been negatively affected by the digestion of marine debris, and those situated around the Southern Ocean boundary being at most risk as this is an identified hotspot for the issue.

This means that the loss of a breeding colony through predation, landslides or human interference can have severe consequences for the population.

[21] Translocation of chicks to establish new breeding colonies is also part of long-term strategy to restore the environment, including offshore islands that were once farmed but are now protected areas.

The proportion of translocated birds that return to breed at the new site appears to be closely related to the weight of chicks and duration of time they spent at new colonies.

[23] In January 2022, 50 chicks were translocated from the Long Island – Kokomohua Marine Reserve in Queen Charlotte Sound to the Wharariki Ecosanctuary at Cape Farewell.