Mediterranean Shearwater
Puffinus yelkouan
The Mediterranean Shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan) is a rare petrels, shearwaters, and diving petrel found in 26 countries, weighing about 497 g. The yelkouan shearwater, Levantine shearwater or Mediterranean shearwater is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae.
About the Mediterranean Shearwater
The yelkouan shearwater, Levantine shearwater or Mediterranean shearwater is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the Manx shearwater.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
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.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Morocco, United Kingdom, Sweden.
When to see it
The Mediterranean Shearwater can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Mediterranean Shearwater?
- The yelkouan shearwaters is 30–35 cm (12–14 in) in length and has a wingspan of 70–84 cm (28–33 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Mediterranean Shearwater?
- The Mediterranean Shearwater is a large sized bird weighing about 497 g.
- Where can you see a Mediterranean Shearwater?
- The Mediterranean Shearwater occurs in 26 countries, including France, Türkiye, Greece, Spain and Italy.
- What birds look similar to a Mediterranean Shearwater?
- The Mediterranean Shearwater is most easily confused with the Galapagos Shearwater, the Fluttering Shearwater and the Hutton's Shearwater.
Learn the Mediterranean Shearwater for real
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