The yelkouan shearwater, Levantine shearwater or Mediterranean shearwater is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the Manx shearwater.
Region
Mediterranean Basin and Black Sea
Typical Environment
Breeds on rocky Mediterranean islands and islets, especially in the central and eastern basin, and disperses widely over adjacent seas. Regularly passes through the Turkish Straits and enters the Black Sea. At sea it favors continental shelf waters, frontal zones, and areas of upwelling where small schooling fish aggregate. Nests are placed in burrows, cavities, or among boulders on coastal cliffs and slopes. Outside breeding, it ranges pelagically but usually remains within the Mediterranean–Black Sea system.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 500 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Yelkouan shearwater is a small to medium-sized seabird of the Mediterranean and Black Sea, once considered a subspecies of the Manx shearwater. It nests in burrows and crevices on offshore islands, visiting colonies mainly at night to avoid predation. Populations are threatened by introduced mammals at breeding sites, bycatch in fisheries, and light pollution. At sea it often forms large rafts and can be tricky to distinguish from Balearic and Manx shearwaters.
Egg of the yelkouan shearwater
Temperament
social and wary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats alternating with low arcing glides over waves
Social Behavior
Breeds colonially, with birds nesting in burrows or rock crevices on islands. Mostly nocturnal at colonies, arriving and departing under cover of darkness to reduce predation. Pairs are long-term and typically raise a single chick per year, sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Around colonies it gives eerie, wailing and chattering calls mainly at night, with distinct male and female vocalizations. At sea it is generally quiet, calling only occasionally in flock interactions.
Plumage
Upperparts dark brown to blackish with a clean white underside that may show dusky flanks and vent; underwings mostly white with a distinct dark border and variable dusky coverts.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small schooling fish such as anchovies and sardines, as well as cephalopods and crustaceans. Takes prey by surface seizing and pursuit-diving, often diving to tens of meters, and uses dynamic soaring to cover large areas efficiently. Frequently associates with predatory fish, dolphins, and fishing vessels to exploit concentrated prey.
Preferred Environment
Forages over continental shelf edges, fronts, and upwelling zones where prey is abundant. Often feeds near breeding islands and along productive coastal corridors, including the Aegean and Turkish Straits.
