Puffinus bailloni
The Tropical Shearwater (Puffinus bailloni), a small, swift-flying seabird, measures approximately 27-33 cm in length with a wingspan of 64-74 cm and typically weighs between 150-200 grams. Its plumage is strikingly bicolored, featuring sooty-black to dark brown upperparts that contrast sharply with clean white underparts, a classic "dark above, white below" pattern common among pelagic species. Key identification marks include its relatively short tail, slender dark bill, and a diagnostic ra...
This highly pelagic seabird primarily inhabits tropical and subtropical ocean waters, ranging far from land for foraging. Breeding occurs exclusively on remote, predator-free offshore islands and atolls, often in low-lying coastal vegetation, rocky outcrops, or within subterranean burrows.
The diet consists predominantly of small schooling fish such as anchovies and sardines, squid, and crustaceans. These are typically captured through surface-seizing or shallow pursuit-diving just below the water's surface.
Tropical Shearwaters are largely diurnal at sea, soaring gracefully over the waves, but become strictly nocturnal at their breeding colonies to avoid aerial predation. They employ a diverse foraging strategy, primarily surface-seizing small prey, but also engage in shallow plunge-diving or pursui...
The Tropical Shearwater boasts an extensive, pantropical distribution across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Breeding populations are concentrated on remote oceanic islands and atolls. In the Atlantic, they breed throughout the Caribbean Sea, including islands like Puerto Rico, the Virg...
Least Concern
- Tropical Shearwaters spend the vast majority of their lives far out at sea, only returning to land to breed. - They are strictly nocturnal at their breeding colonies, emerging from burrows and flying only under the cover of darkness to avoid aerial predators like frigatebirds. - Their character...