One of the 5 shearwaters on WAnimals
Birds · Procellariiformes · Procellariidae
Yelkouan Shearwater
Puffinus yelkouan
Vulnerable
At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.
The Yelkouan shearwater is a seabird endemic to the Mediterranean that spends almost its whole life on the open sea and comes ashore only at night to breed, in crevices and burrows on islets and cliffs. It flies low over the waves on stiff wings, alternating glides with bursts of rapid wingbeats. Its greatest threats are rats and cats introduced onto the breeding islands and accidental capture on longlines.
Weight
350 g – 500 g
Size
30 cm – 38 cm
Life expectancy
25 years
