Calonectris edwardsii
The Cape Verde Shearwater (Calonectris edwardsii) is a medium-sized pelagic seabird, strikingly elegant with a length of 35-39 cm and an impressive wingspan of 86-99 cm. Its plumage features dark grey-brown upperparts sharply contrasting with clean white underparts, a distinctive dark cap, and a slender, dark bill. This endemic species, sometimes referred to as 'Cagarra', is easily distinguished from its close relatives like Cory's Shearwater by its smaller size and darker bill. Taxonomically...
This species primarily inhabits pelagic, offshore waters, returning to breed exclusively on rocky, uninhabited islets and cliffs within the Cape Verde archipelago.
Their diet primarily consists of small fish, such as sardines, anchovies, and mackerel, supplemented with squid and small crustaceans, obtained through surface-seizing and shallow dives.
Cape Verde Shearwaters exhibit a fascinating dual lifestyle, being highly pelagic and diurnal at sea, yet strictly nocturnal when visiting their breeding colonies to avoid avian predators. Their foraging strategy involves surface-seizing and shallow plunge-diving, often associating with schools o...
The Cape Verde Shearwater has an extremely restricted breeding range, exclusively confined to the Cape Verde archipelago in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Its primary breeding strongholds include the uninhabited islets of Raso, Branco, and Santa Luzia, with smaller colonies found on São Nicolau and ...
Endangered
- The Cape Verde Shearwater is entirely endemic, breeding only within the Cape Verde archipelago, making it a truly unique island species. - It was only elevated to full species status in 1995, having previously been considered a subspecies of Cory's Shearwater. - Despite its relatively small ran...