Short-tailed Shearwater vs Balearic Shearwater
Ardenna tenuirostris compared with Puffinus mauretanicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Short-tailed Shearwater | Balearic Shearwater |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ardenna tenuirostris | Puffinus mauretanicus |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Critically Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 52.4 cm (20.6 in) | 48.4 cm (19.1 in) |
| Weight | 695.0 g (24.52 oz) | 514.8 g (18.16 oz) |
| Diet | -- | -- |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Short-tailed Shearwater
Critically Endangered
Balearic Shearwater
About These Birds
Short-tailed Shearwater
41–43 cm, wingspan 95–100 cm. Sooty-brown; silvery underwing flash. Breeds Bass Strait islands (Australia) in enormous numbers; one of the world's most abundant seabirds. Migrates to North Pacific in vast flocks. Feeds on krill and fish. Harvested sustainably as 'muttonbirds' in Tasmania.
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.