Kerguelen Petrel vs Balearic Shearwater
Aphrodroma brevirostris compared with Puffinus mauretanicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Kerguelen Petrel | Balearic Shearwater |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aphrodroma brevirostris | Puffinus mauretanicus |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Critically Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 48.0 cm (18.9 in) | 48.4 cm (19.1 in) |
| Weight | 353.0 g (12.45 oz) | 514.8 g (18.16 oz) |
| Diet | -- | -- |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Kerguelen Petrel
Critically Endangered
Balearic Shearwater
About These Birds
Kerguelen Petrel
33–36 cm, wingspan 80–85 cm. Dark grey-brown with short rounded bill; distinctive silvery-white flash on leading edge of underwing. Breeds Tristan da Cunha, Gough, Crozet, and Kerguelen. Ranges widely in Southern Ocean; feeds on fish and squid; solitary at sea.
Balearic Shearwater
30–38 cm. Brown above; variably dirty-white to brown below; often shows brown smudging on flanks. Breeds only Balearic Islands, Spain. Critically Endangered with fewer than 3,000 pairs; faces extinction. Migrates to NE Atlantic; threatened by predators, fishing bycatch, and tourist development.