Puffinus auricularis
The Townsend's Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis) is a sleek, medium-sized seabird, measuring approximately 30-38 cm (12-15 inches) in length with a wingspan of 76-89 cm (30-35 inches) and weighing around 280-350 grams (10-12 oz). Its plumage is distinctly bicolored, featuring sooty-black upperparts that contrast sharply with brilliant white underparts. Key identification marks include a prominent dark cap extending below the eye, forming a distinctive "spectacle" effect against a white face, ...
A strictly pelagic seabird for most of its life, Townsend's Shearwater breeds exclusively on remote oceanic islands, nesting in burrows on forested or vegetated slopes, often at higher elevations away from immediate coastlines.
Townsend's Shearwater primarily feeds on small schooling fish, cephalopods (squid), and crustaceans, which it captures by surface-seizing or shallow pursuit-diving in open ocean waters.
Townsend's Shearwater is a highly nocturnal species at its breeding colonies, arriving and departing under the cover of darkness to avoid aerial predators like owls and frigatebirds. During the day, they are pelagic, spending their time foraging over the open ocean. Foraging typically involves su...
The breeding range of Townsend's Shearwater is highly restricted to the Islas Revillagigedo archipelago off the Pacific coast of Mexico, specifically on Socorro Island and, to a lesser extent, Clarion and San Benedicto islands. After the breeding season, these highly pelagic birds disperse widely...
Critically Endangered
- Townsend's Shearwaters are strictly nocturnal at their breeding colonies, flying in and out under the cloak of darkness to avoid predatory gulls, owls, and frigatebirds. - They are expert burrowers, digging deep nests (up to several meters long) into soft soil or volcanic ash on remote island s...