Fluttering Shearwater vs Mediterranean Shearwater

Fluttering Shearwater

Puffinus gavia

Medium229 gMarine

This is a medium to small-sized shearwater with a dark-brown-and-white body. The upper parts, including neck, wings and tail, are uniformly dark brown. The face and neck have a grey-brown colour gradually fading into white below the eye. The under body, from chin to the under-tail, is white except for a dark thigh patch that can be seen in flight. The bottom wing is commonly white while the axillary area is covered in grey-brown fur. Under light conditions, the appearance is different.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Natewilbournee · CC0

Mediterranean Shearwater

Puffinus yelkouan

Large497 gMarine

The yelkouan shearwaters is 30–35 cm (12–14 in) in length and has a wingspan of 70–84 cm (28–33 in). It has the typically "shearing" flight of the genus, dipping from side to side on stiff wings with few wingbeats, the wingtips almost touching the water. This bird looks like a flying cross, with its wing held at right angles to the body, and it changes from very dark brown to white as the dark upperparts and paler undersides are alternately exposed as it travels low over the sea.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Julien Renoult · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Fluttering Shearwater and Mediterranean Shearwater.