A small, swift seabird with a big personality and an even bigger travel map. It breeds mainly on the Balearic Islands in the western Mediterranean, but once the nesting season is over, it heads out like a seasoned traveler, following coastlines and currents to find food. In flight, it looks athletic and purposeful: long, narrow wings, quick beats, then low glides just above the waves. It gets its name from the way it “shears” across the sea surface, skimming so close that it seems to be slicing the air right where ocean and wind meet. Its plumage is mostly brown above with paler underparts, a practical outfit that blends with sunlit water and shadowy swells.
While lots of seabirds have many nesting islands to choose from, this species is much more limited, returning to specific coastal caves and crevices to raise chicks. It is also famously more active at night around its nesting sites, slipping in under darkness to avoid danger. That secretive routine can make it feel like a “hidden” bird—present, but easy to miss unless you know when and where to look. Even at sea, it can seem surprisingly subtle until you see a group feeding, when the water suddenly comes alive with fast, low flight and sharp turns.
Out on the open water, the Balearic shearwater is a skilled forager with a knack for being in the right place at the right time. It feeds mainly on small fish and other sea life near the surface, often gathering where currents concentrate food or where other ocean hunters push prey upward. You might spot it flying in loose lines, circling, then dropping to the water in quick bursts, as if following an invisible set of clues. Its body is built for stamina rather than show: streamlined, efficient, and perfectly suited to long hours of searching.
Distribution
Albania
Algeria
Belgium
Bosnia And Herz.
Croatia
Denmark
Faroe Islands
France
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Libya
Malta
Monaco
Montenegro
Morocco
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Tunisia
United KingdomAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Colony
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
