- Puffinus subalaris
Identification
30 cm
- Blackish-brown upperparts, undersides of the tail and flight feathers, the rest of the underparts, cheeks and throat are white.
Similar Species
Manx Shearwater is slightly larger with longer more-pointed wings, and white undertail coverts.
Cory's Shearwater is much larger with much lighter brown body and wings, heavy yellow bill and white tail band.
Great Shearwater is much larger with lighter body, smudgy brown belly, neat cap, narrow pointed wings and white tail band.
Distribution
Breeds on the Galapagos Islands.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
It's still considered to be a subspecies of Audubon's Shearwater by some authorities.
Habitat
Tropical waters.
Behaviour
Breeding
It is a colonial breeder, nesting in small burrows and crevices in rocks. One egg is laid and incubated by both parents for 50; the young fledge 70 days later.
Diet
The diet includes small fish, squid and crustaceans.
References
- Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
- Paper by Austin et al. (2004) describing phylogeny of small shearwaters
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Galapagos Shearwater. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 5 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Galapagos_Shearwater
