Phoenix Petrel vs Balearic Shearwater

Pterodroma alba compared with Puffinus mauretanicus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Phoenix Petrel Balearic Shearwater
Scientific Name Pterodroma alba Puffinus mauretanicus
Order Procellariiformes Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae Procellariidae
Conservation Status Vulnerable Critically Endangered
Length
Wingspan 53.2 cm (20.9 in) 48.4 cm (19.1 in)
Weight 279.0 g (9.84 oz) 514.8 g (18.16 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1 1
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Phoenix Petrel only

None

Balearic Shearwater only

Conservation Status

Vulnerable

Phoenix Petrel

Critically Endangered

Balearic Shearwater

About These Birds

Phoenix Petrel

35–37 cm. Polymorphic; pale morph pale grey with white underparts; dark morph all brown. Breeds Phoenix and Line Islands, French Polynesia. Ranges widely in tropical Pacific. Near Threatened; introduced predators threaten island colonies. 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.

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family