About the Scopoli's Shearwater
Scopoli's shearwater is a seabird in the petrel family Procellariidae. It breeds on rocky islands and on steep coasts in the Mediterranean but outside the breeding season it forages in the Atlantic. It is brownish grey above with darker wings and mostly white below. The bill is pale yellow with a dark patch near the tip. The sexes are alike. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with Cory's shearwater.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
Scopoli's shearwater is 45–52 cm (18–20 in) in overall length with a wingspan of 112–122 cm (44–48 in). The upperparts are brownish-grey with most feathers fringed with a lighter brown. The wings are a darker brown. The upper tail-coverts are tipped whitish and the tail is dark brown. The underparts are mostly white with a brown border which is most prominent of the trailing edge of the wing. The bill is pale yellow with a dark patch near the tip. The legs and feet are a pale flesh colour. The sexes are similar in appearance but the male is on average slightly larger than the female.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Scopoli's Shearwater sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Mexico, Panama, Germany, Denmark, Australia, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, St. Lucia, Martinique.
When to see it
Peak activity in August · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Learn the Scopoli's Shearwater for real
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