Sooty Shearwater vs Balearic Shearwater
Ardenna grisea compared with Puffinus mauretanicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sooty Shearwater | Balearic Shearwater |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ardenna grisea | Puffinus mauretanicus |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Critically Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 59.1 cm (23.3 in) | 48.4 cm (19.1 in) |
| Weight | 814.0 g (28.71 oz) | 514.8 g (18.16 oz) |
| Diet | -- | -- |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Conservation Status
Near Threatened
Sooty Shearwater
Critically Endangered
Balearic Shearwater
About These Birds
Sooty Shearwater
40–51 cm, wingspan 94–110 cm. All dark sooty-brown with silvery-white underwing flash. Breeds New Zealand and southern South America; undertakes one of the longest migrations of any animal to North Pacific and Atlantic. Feeds on fish, squid, and krill. Near Threatened; millions estimated.
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.