Black-vented Shearwater

Puffinus opisthomelas Order: PROCELLARIIFORMES Family: Petrels and Shearwaters (Procellariidae)

Codes: Common Name: BVSH Scientific Name: PUFOPI ITIS Taxonomic No.: 554396

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Overview

Black-vented Shearwater: Medium shearwater, brown-black upperparts, white underparts, brown mottling on sides of breast and flanks. Dark cap extends below eye. Tail is dark. Eats fish, crustaceans, and squid. Quick low flight with short stiff wingbeats followed by glide. Soars in high winds.

Range and Habitat

Black-vented Shearwater: Breeds on islands off Baja California. Year-round visitor off the coast of southern California, but most commonly in late fall and winter. Lives on open ocean, only comes ashore to breed.

Topo Map: Gull-like Body

Voice Text

Generally silent

Interesting Facts

The Black-vented Shearwater is frequently seen from shore. They are only found in the waters off southern and Baja California, where it nests on isolated islands in the California Current. Natividad Island may host as much as 30-40% of the global population of this species.

It flies close to the waves, its flight more fluttery than that of other shearwaters. It rarely follows ships, but feeds by snatching food from the water's surface and sometimes by diving. It also swims beneath the surface, aided by its wings.

The form that visits California waters has dark under tail coverts and was formerly considered a race of the Manx Shearwater, a resident of the North Atlantic.

A group of shearwaters are collectively known as an "improbability" of shearwaters.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Irina Rud-Volga

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Black-vented Shearwater

● Song: Generally silent

● Foraging & Feeding: Black-vented Shearwater: Eats a variety of fish, crustaceans, and squid. Feeds by snatching food from the water surface, but sometimes plunge dives.

● Breeding & nesting: Black-vented Shearwater: One white egg is laid in a burrow or crevice lined with grass. Both parents incubate the egg for 51 days.

● Similar species: Black-vented Shearwater: Manx Shearwater has white undertail coverts and more contrast between upperparts and underparts. Pink-footed Shearwater is larger with darker breast and underwings.

Flight Pattern

Quick low flight with stiff short wing beats followed by a glide.

Black-vented Shearwater Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Black-vented Shearwater: Breeds on islands off Baja California. Year-round visitor off the coast of southern California, but most commonly in late fall and winter. Lives on open ocean, only comes ashore to breed.

^BreedingMonogamous, Colonial

^PopulationFairly common, Stable

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight9.7 Ounces

Gull-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Cap

The area on top of the head of the bird.

Tail coverts

The short tail feathers covering the base of the long tail feathers.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America