Cory's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) - 21May2017

A frequent sight on NC Pelagics off Hatteras, the Cory's Shearwater is easy to ID when you can see the yellow bill, but even at great distances they can be IDed based on their size, lazy wing beats and high arcing flight patterns. Edit from 2025: Cory's was split into two species with the first retaining the original name and the second being Scopoli's Shearwater which has a different plumage pattern in the "hands".  The ones photographed below all lack the extension of white into the hands so they are Cory's.