Balearic Shearwater vs Manx Shearwater

Puffinus mauretanicus compared with Puffinus puffinus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Balearic Shearwater Manx Shearwater
Scientific Name Puffinus mauretanicus Puffinus puffinus
Order Procellariiformes Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae Procellariidae
Conservation Status Critically Endangered Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 48.4 cm (19.1 in) 46.5 cm (18.3 in)
Weight 514.8 g (18.16 oz) 482.25 g (17.01 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1 1
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Balearic Shearwater only

None

Manx Shearwater only

None

Conservation Status

Critically Endangered

Balearic Shearwater

Least Concern

Manx Shearwater

About These Birds

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.

Manx Shearwater

30–38 cm, wingspan 76–89 cm. Classic small shearwater; jet-black above, brilliant white below; rapid wing-beats and stiff glides. Breeds UK, Faroe, Iceland, and Canary islands; makes extraordinary migrations to south Atlantic. Feeds on fish and squid; nocturnal at colonies. Near Threatened.

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