Black Petrel vs Balearic Shearwater

Procellaria parkinsoni compared with Puffinus mauretanicus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Black Petrel Balearic Shearwater
Scientific Name Procellaria parkinsoni Puffinus mauretanicus
Order Procellariiformes Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae Procellariidae
Conservation Status Vulnerable Critically Endangered
Length
Wingspan 72.6 cm (28.6 in) 48.4 cm (19.1 in)
Weight 737.8333333333334 g (26.03 oz) 514.8 g (18.16 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1 1
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Black Petrel only

Balearic Shearwater only

Conservation Status

Vulnerable

Black Petrel

Critically Endangered

Balearic Shearwater

About These Birds

Black Petrel

46 cm. All-black petrel with pale yellowish bill with dark culmen ridge. Breeds only Great and Little Barrier islands off New Zealand. Vulnerable; migrates to eastern Pacific after breeding. Threatened by introduced predators; feeds on squid and fish.

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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