The Barolo shearwater, also known as the North Atlantic little shearwater or Macaronesian shearwater, is a small shearwater which breeds in the Azores and Canaries of Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean. The English name and the specific baroli refers to Carlo Tencredi Falletti, marquis of Barolo.
Region
Macaronesia and Northeast Atlantic
Typical Environment
Breeds on islands of Macaronesia, notably the Azores, Madeira archipelago, and the Canary Islands. Outside the breeding season it disperses widely over the adjacent Northeast Atlantic, ranging along the Iberian margin and occasionally reaching the Bay of Biscay and waters near the British Isles. It is pelagic, spending most of its life over open ocean but often foraging over productive shelf edges and upwelling zones. Breeding habitat includes cliffs, coastal slopes, and offshore islets where it uses burrows or natural crevices. Colonies are typically in areas with limited terrestrial predators.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 800 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small, nocturnal-breeding shearwater of Macaronesia, it nests in burrows or rock crevices on predator-free islets and coastal slopes. Adults return to colonies under cover of darkness to avoid gulls and other predators. Light pollution can disorient fledglings, leading to strandings, so local rescue programs often recover grounded birds. At sea it can be hard to separate from similar small shearwaters without close views.
Temperament
social and active at sea, secretive at colonies
Flight Pattern
rapid fluttering wingbeats with short glides low over waves
Social Behavior
Breeds colonially, nesting in burrows or rock crevices where a single egg is laid. Both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties. Adults visit colonies at night to reduce predation risk and disturbance. Pairs often show strong site fidelity across years.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
At colonies it gives soft, rolling trills and purring calls, with males and females having slightly different vocalizations. Calls are almost exclusively nocturnal and are rarely heard at sea.
Plumage
Crisp blackish-brown upperparts with clean white underparts and a sharp demarcation line along the sides. Underwings are mostly white with a narrow dark border. The face looks pale with a dark cap and eye area, and the wings are short and rounded compared with larger shearwaters.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small fish, cephalopods, and marine crustaceans captured near the surface. Often forages over upwelling areas and along shelf edges where prey is concentrated. May associate with predatory fish, dolphins, or flocks of other seabirds to exploit disturbed prey.
Preferred Environment
Pelagic waters offshore, especially productive zones with schooling prey. Occasionally approaches coastal waters near breeding islands but generally remains beyond the surf zone when foraging.
