FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER Puffinus carneipes

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER Puffinus carneipes

Pale-footed Shearwater
L 41–48 cm, WS 99–109 cm.
 

IDENTIFICATION 

Vagrant (breeds Southern Oceans, wintering north to N Pacific and N Indian Ocean). Large, rather broad-winged all-dark shearwater. Flight action rather slow and ponderous, with slow, deep wingbeats and long glides on stiff wings. In windier conditions shows more typical shearwater flight of long arcs. Most likely to be confused with Sooty, which is smaller and narrower-winged. Best distinguished by pale pink bill with blackish tip (and pale pink legs, if visible) contrasting with overall dark appearance and almost wholly dark underwing (although primary bases a little paler than coverts in good light). From dark morph Wedge-tailed by pale pink bill with blackish tip and almost wholly dark underwing; also by rather straight wings, not bowed and held forward. See also skuas (dark morphs and juveniles) and Jouanin’s Petrel.
 

VOICE 

Silent at sea.

STATUS/HABITAT 

Vagrant (Eilat, Israel). Pelagic away from breeding colonies.

STREAKED SHEARWATER Calonectris leucomelas

STREAKED SHEARWATER Calonectris leucomelas 

White-faced Shearwater
L 48 cm, WS 122 cm
 

IDENTIFICATION 

Vagrant (breeds N Pacific, wintering southwards, including E Indian Ocean). Resembles Cory’s in overall size, structure, flight action and basic coloration but is slightly sleeker and finerbilled, with whitish head contrasting with dark brownish streaking on hindcrown and nape, more ‘scaly’ upperparts (owing to paler feather fringes), and distinctive streaked dark carpal patch on underwing (and, less obviously, a small dark notch at base of leading edge). Amount of white on head varies, some only whitish about face, on others white extends over most of head. Beware Cory’s with pale (bleached) head and neck, which can look whiteheaded in bright light (such birds, however, lack dark nape and are very pale on mantle). Like Cory’s, some birds may show a whitish crescent on uppertail coverts.

VOICE 

Silent at sea.
 

STATUS/HABITAT 

Vagrant (Eilat, Israel). Pelagic away from breeding colonies.

CORY’S SHEARWATER Calonectris diomedea

CORY’S SHEARWATER Calonectris diomedea

Cape Verde Shearwater (C. d. edwardsii)
L 41–46 cm, WS 95–125 cm.

IDENTIFICATION 

Large, heavily built shearwater, similar in size to Great. Flight action often seems lazy, yet in fact is often swift. Several deep but rather loose wingbeats (less stiff than other shearwaters) are followed by a long, low glide that is sometimes banking or circling. Typically holds wings slightly pressed forward and gently flexed, with a slight bow. In windier conditions rises in long, high sweeping arcs and will even soar at times. Frequently follows ships and scavenges. Often forms large rafts. Distinguished from Great by lack of capped appearance (mouse-brown head merges slowly into whitish throat and foreneck), pale yellowish bill with quite conspicuous dark subterminal area (but not race edwardsii, which has alldark bill), lack of dark patch on belly (but this not always present on Great), lack of dark markings across underwing coverts, distinctly more extensive black tip to underwing, and longer-, looser-winged, heavierheaded appearance. Many Cory’s lack the narrow white band across uppertail coverts shown by Great, but some Cory’s do show a narrow, indistinct white band and contrastingly dark tail can create illusion of pale band even when none exists. 

Coloration quite close to Yelkouan of race mauretanicus (‘Balearic Shearwater’); distinguished by larger, heavier appearance, rather ‘scaly’ grey-brown upperparts (often with contrastingly darker diagonal band across wing coverts), looser flight, paler head (with darker mask), thicker, mainly pale bill (except edwardsii) and much whiter underwing and underbody (including vent). 

Confusion also possible at long range with Northern Fulmar, but latter has shorter, stockier head and body, shorter, thicker bill, greyer and generally paler-looking upperparts, shorter wings and stiffer wing action and, in light morph, all-white head (but beware intermediates with grey crown and nape). See also Fea’s and Zino’s Petrels. Bleached and worn Cory’s can look very pale brown above.

VOICE 

On breeding grounds main call is a harsh, snoring, repeated wail, ‘keeowwrrah, keeowwrrah’ (with slight variations in each race). Silent at sea. 

TAXONOMY 

Form edwardsii is probably best treated as a separate species, Cape Verde Shearwater. 

GEOGRAPHICAL  VARIATION 

Quite marked. 3 races (borealis and edwardsii illustrated). Cape Verde Is race edwardsii about 10% smaller than northern races and more slightly built: somewhat darker brown neck and mantle, producing greater contrast with whitish underparts, and has particularly dark sooty brown hood contrasting with paler hindneck and whitish chin and throat; bill proportionately more slender, and greyishhorn with blackish subterminal area (looks rather uniform dingy grey at sea). Of the northern races, borealis (breeds Atlantic) is slightly larger and darker than nominate race (breeds Mediterranean) but probably inseparable in the field.

STATUS/HABITAT 

Fairly common. (Map note: in summer marine range extends north to SW Ireland and approaches to English Channel, and throughout Mediterranean as far as Sea of Marmara. Even visits Gulf of Aqaba. Some may remain around Cape Verde Is all year, but otherwise vacates region to winter in S Atlantic. Breeding areas seemingly mapped for mainland coasts in fact refer to nearby offshore islands. May breed outside mapped areas among Aegean Is and on Islas Chafarinas off Morocco.) Breeds in holes and crevices on cliffs, rocky slopes and (where undisturbed) even gently sloping ground, sometimes well inland. Pelagic away from breeding colonies, but regularly seen quite close inshore.

JOUANIN’S PETREL Bulweria fallax

JOUANIN’S PETREL Bulweria fallax

L 30–32 cm, WS 76–83 cm.

IDENTIFICATION 

Vagrant from NW Indian Ocean (breeding grounds unknown but perhaps on islands off Arabian Peninsula). Medium-sized petrel that is similar to Bulwer’s in character, but with quicker, more powerful, flight action. Has steady flight action with tern-like wingbeats, intermittently banking away sharply to glide along wave troughs before rising and continuing once more with steady wingbeats. In very calm conditions beats wings almost continually, recalling a small skua but in windier conditions makes high sweeping arcs interspersed with short series of rapid wingbeats (recalling Pterodroma). Holds wings slightly forward and bowed, like Bulwer’s. Species distinguished from Bulwer’s by larger size, rather different flight action, proportionately heavier head and thicker bill (which create heavier look overall), and characteristic ‘step’ in outline of long tail (with central feathers projecting).

Tail appears less slender. Typically lacks pale band across upperwing coverts (but this often impossible to see on Bulwer’s, and some worn Jouanin’s show a pale band). At close range small pale area around base of bill and shortness of outer tail feathers may be noticeable. Distinctions from Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel as for
Bulwer’s. Long tail, all-dark underwing, rather thick bill (usually held at a distinctly angled downwards) and different flight action separates Jouanin’s from larger Sooty Shearwater and from vagrant Flesh-footed or dark morph Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. Head of latter is noticeably slimmer than in Jouanin’s.

VOICE 

Silent at sea.
 

STATUS/HABITAT 

Vagrant (Italy). Pelagic away from breeding colonies.

BULWER’S PETREL Bulweria bulwerii

BULWER’S PETREL Bulweria bulwerii 

L 26–28 cm, WS 68–73 cm. 

IDENTIFICATION 

Smallest true petrel of region, but substantially larger, longer-winged and longertailed than Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel, which it superficially recalls. Flight action buoyant and erratic, with wings held slightly forward and bowed; a series of rapid wingbeats followed by a short twisting glide. Generally keeps close to water. When
feeding, circles or zigzags low over surface. Only occasionally fans tail to reveal wedge shape; tail normally looks long and tapering (sometimes held slightly raised). Usually solitary at sea. Does not normally follow ships. Most likely to be confused with vagrant Jouanin’s (q.v.). 

Distinguished fromdark shearwaters and Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel by even longer-winged appearance, long, pointed tail, flight action (see above), bill shape (much shorter than in shearwaters, thicker than in Swinhoe’s
Storm-petrel) and size (much smaller than dark shearwaters, substantially larger than Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel). Bill usually pointed well downwards in flight. Paler brown diagonal band across upperwing coverts is visible only at close range. 

VOICE 

At breeding colonies gives a low barking ‘chuff’, repeated at varying speed and pitch, recalling steam engine.

STATUS/HABITAT 

Uncommon. (Map note: in summer marine range extends north of Azores and east to waters off Portugal. Found all year around Cape Verde Is but mostly disperses into tropical Atlantic for winter.) Breeds in holes and crevices on rocky slopes near shore. Pelagic away from breeding colonies.

BLACK-CAPPED PETREL Pterodroma hasitata

BLACK-CAPPED PETREL Pterodroma hasitata 
Capped Petrel
L 35–46 cm, WS 89–102 cm.

IDENTIFICATION 
Transatlantic vagrant (breeds Hispaniola in Caribbean). Large Pterodroma, larger than Manx and Yelkouan Shearwaters, with flight action typical of the genus (see Fea’s). Species distinguished from similar-looking shearwaters by differences in structure and flight action in same way as Fea’s (q.v.) and, in case of Great Shearwater, by much greater extent of white on collar and rump (although some individuals have these areas largely or wholly obscured by dark feathering), white forehead and lack of dark smudge on belly (although this not always easy to see on Great Shearwater and sometimes absent). From Fea’s and Zino’s by extensive
white (bordered black, with diagonal black bar of varying prominence) on underwing and, usually, by obvious white rump and collar contrasting with brownish-black cap.

VOICE 
Silent at sea.

STATUS/HABITAT 
Vagrant (W Europe). Pelagic away from breeding colonies.

ATLANTIC PETREL Pterodroma incerta

ATLANTIC PETREL Pterodroma incerta 

Schlegel’s Petrel
L 43–44 cm, WS 104 cm.

IDENTIFICATION 

Vagrant from S Atlantic (breeds Tristan da Cunha group). Large Pterodroma, slightly larger than Sooty Shearwater, with flight action typical of the genus (see Fea’s). Often follows ships. Dark underwing which contrasts with mainly white underbody recalls Soft-plumaged, but unlikely to be confused except at very long range. Dark hood and vent contrasting with white belly distinguish it from Fea’s or Zino’s and also from smaller Bulwer’s and Jouanin’s (but note that worn individuals can show whitish throat, greyish sides to face and whitish collar across nape, making separation from Fea’s or Zino’s less straightforward). See also vagrant Herald Petrel P. arminjoniana in Appendix.

VOICE 

Silent at sea.
 

STATUS/HABITAT 

Vagrant (Eilat, Israel). Pelagic away from breeding colonies.