Cape Petrel vs Balearic Shearwater

Daption capense compared with Puffinus mauretanicus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Cape Petrel Balearic Shearwater
Scientific Name Daption capense Puffinus mauretanicus
Order Procellariiformes Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae Procellariidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Critically Endangered
Length
Wingspan 50.0 cm (19.7 in) 48.4 cm (19.1 in)
Weight 444.6666666666667 g (15.69 oz) 514.8 g (18.16 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1 1
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Cape Petrel only

None

Balearic Shearwater only

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Cape Petrel

Critically Endangered

Balearic Shearwater

About These Birds

Cape Petrel

38–40 cm, wingspan 81–91 cm. Unmistakable chequered black-and-white plumage with two white wing patches. Abundant in the Southern Ocean; breeds on Antarctic and subantarctic cliff ledges. Follows ships avidly; feeds on krill, fish, and offal. One of the most commonly seen Antarctic seabirds.

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.

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