Yelkouan Shearwater

Mediterranean shearwater ( Puffinus yelkouan )

The Mediterranean shearwater ( Puffinus yelkouan ) is a species of bird in the family of the petrels Procellariidae.

Description

Mediterranean Shearwaters are medium-sized shearwaters. The body length is 34-39 cm, wingspan 78-90 cm. The entire top surface is blackish brown, the hand wing is a little darker than the rest of the upper wing surface. The bottom has dropped sharply predominantly solid white. Swing tips, Schwanzendbinde and a diagonal band on the Unterflügelarmdecken are dark colored. Flanks, axillaries, and under tail- coverts can show different expansion brownish areas.

System

Today, no subspecies are recognized. The previously run as a subspecies of the Mediterranean Shearwater Balearic Shearwater is performed since 2004 as a separate species ( Puffinus mauretanicus ).

Distribution and habitat

The species is endemic to the Mediterranean region, the exact distribution is often unknown. Mediterranean shearwaters breed on rocky islands or in remote mainland areas. Usually they do not fly higher than ten feet above the water surface. Where to collect small fish, may lead to large accumulations of this kind. Outside the breeding season hiking Mediterranean shearwater widely around the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea region.

Inventory and risk

The world stock in 2004 estimated at 14700-52000 breeding pairs, the European breeding population on 13000-33000 breeding pairs. The world stock could thus comprise approximately 100,000 individuals. According to Birdlife this number but is highly speculative, as long as there about the existence of Turkey not only greater power precise information. Birdlife is as a very rough estimate for this stock of 1000-30000 breeding pairs. The largest inventory in addition Turkey has Italy, where brood estimated 7000-14000 pairs.

According to BirdLife International, the Mediterranean shearwater is threatened by rats and feral cats. The seabirds die as bycatch in fishing nets and longline fisheries. It is classified by the IUCN due to extremely low breeding success in several important breeding colonies now as a sort of early warning ( " Near Threatened ").