Balearic Shearwater

Puffinus mauretanicus Lowe, 1921

Balearic Shearwater, Puffinus mauretanicus, is a petrel in the family Procellariidae that breeds on islets in the Balearic Islands of the western Mediterranean Sea. It was first described by Lowe in 1921. Outside the breeding season it moves to Atlantic coasts in south-west Europe and north-west Africa. The species nests in burrows and caves, and it is most often seen from boats or headlands in large gatherings. At sea it is silent, while colonies are noisy at night. It feeds on fish and molluscs and does not follow boats.

Order

Procellariiformes

Family

Procellariidae — Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels

Breeding range

Atlantic Ocean: islets of Balearic Is. (w Mediterranean Sea)

Nonbreeding range

to Atlantic coasts of sw Europe and nw Africa