Alternative names: Levantine Shearwater; Mediterranean Shearwater
- Puffinus yelkouan
Identification
30-38cm
- Dark brown upperparts
- White undersides
- Under-wings:
- Dark on tips
- Dark trailing edge
- Diagonal band across secondary coverts
- Brown flanks, axillaries, undertail and underwing coverts
- Large pink feet
Distribution
Breeds in central and eastern Mediterranean islands Spain (Balearic Islands), France, Italy, Malta, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Croatia, Turkey and Algeria.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Breeds on islands and coastal cliffs, otherwise pelagic.
Behaviour
Will follow fishing boats and trawlers.
Breeding
They nest in burrows which are only visited at night to avoid predation by large gulls.
Diet
The diet includes fish and molluscs, also chum thrown from boats.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- BirdLife International
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Yelkouan Shearwater. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 15 January 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Yelkouan_Shearwater
