During the breeding season the Great Shearwater can be found in an area stretching from the southern tip of Africa to South America's east coast. It is one of the few nesting bird species in the southern hemisphere that is moving to the northern hemisphere. During this long flight the Great Shearwater follows a circular path when it first goes north to the waters off South America and then go to the north along North America's east coast before crossing the Atlantic in August.
Great Shearwater breed in large colonies on sub-arctic islands that are visited only at night to avoid predators. The bird's nest is built in a soil pit dug into the sloping ground.
