About Puffinus mauretanicus Lowe, 1921
This species, commonly known as the Balearic shearwater, has a scientific name of Puffinus mauretanicus Lowe, 1921. It measures 34–39 cm (13–15 in) in body length, with a wingspan of 78–90 cm (31–35 in). Like other members of its genus, it performs the characteristic "shearing" flight: it glides from side to side on stiff wings with very few wingbeats, and its wingtips almost touch the water surface. When flying low over the sea, this bird appears shaped like a flying cross, with its wings held at right angles to its body. As it turns, it alternates between showing its dark upperparts and paler undersides, creating a color shift from dark brown to dirty white. Aside from having less contrasting plumage, the Balearic shearwater is very similar to the Manx shearwater and yelkouan shearwater that live elsewhere in the Mediterranean. At least one mixed breeding colony of Balearic shearwaters and yelkouan shearwaters occurs on Menorca, and the winter ranges of the two species overlap in the Central Mediterranean. For scientific identification of this species, a combination of morphological characteristics and DNA sequence data is recommended. The Balearic shearwater breeds on islands and coastal cliffs in the Balearic Islands. Most individuals of the species winter in the Balearic Sea, but some enter the Atlantic Ocean in late summer, reaching as far north as Great Britain and Ireland.
