Galapagos Shearwater
One of the Galápagos "newest species"!
What you need to know about the Galapagos Shearwater
This small black-and-white bird lives and breeds on the Galápagos Islands, but it has also been seen as far away as Western Mexico and the Central American coastline. Until recently, the Galápagos Shearwater was thought to be a subspecies of another Shearwater but has recently been recognized as a true full species on its own.
You can see Galápagos Shearwaters close to the shores of the islands on which they have breeding colonies - chiefly Santa Cruz, Española, and the remote and uninhabited Wolf Island. They are often foraging for food with other birds such as boobies and terns. The Galápagos Shearwaters fly very low to the water surface and with great speed, beating their wings very fast and then stopping to glide for a distance. This repeating pattern of wing beats and glides is the easiest way to identify them in flight.
The Galápagos Shearwater is not currently listed as under threat, but as the naturalist guide of your Galápagos cruise will explain, their overall numbers have been decreasing over recent years. The main threat to these birds on the Galápagos is from non-native species like cats and rats that can eat young and adults alike in their nest burrows. They are also at risk from animals like goats and other grazers that quickly destroy the natural cover the birds prefer to nest within.
The Galápagos National Park has been attempting to control the introduced species on the islands where the Galápagos Shearwaters breed, and fortunately, this has seen the population start to stabilize here. You will learn much more about the conservation efforts in the Galápagos on any of our tour itineraries.
Interesting facts about Galapagos Shearwater
Galápagos Shearwaters usually stay close to the archipelago, but some have been sited as far away as Mexico
The Galápagos Shearwater's main diet consists of squid and fish
Both male and females have exactly the same marking and coloration
Galápagos Shearwaters are often seen at sea feeding alongside Boobies and other shearwaters
Pictures of Galapagos Shearwater
