Townsend's Shearwater vs Balearic Shearwater
Puffinus auricularis compared with Puffinus mauretanicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Townsend's Shearwater | Balearic Shearwater |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Puffinus auricularis | Puffinus mauretanicus |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered | Critically Endangered |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 44.0 cm (17.3 in) | 48.4 cm (19.1 in) |
| Weight | 324.0 g (11.43 oz) | 514.8 g (18.16 oz) |
| Diet | -- | -- |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Conservation Status
Critically Endangered
Townsend's Shearwater
Critically Endangered
Balearic Shearwater
About These Birds
Townsend's Shearwater
33–35 cm. Dark above; white below with dark vent and undertail. Breeds Revillagigedo Islands (Mexico); Critically Endangered with fewer than 1,000 pairs. Threatened by introduced cats and rats; strictly nocturnal at colonies. Ranges in eastern Pacific.
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.