Black-vented Shearwater

About the Black-vented Shearwater

The black-vented shearwater (Puffinus opisthomelas) is a species of seabird endemic to islands off of the Pacific coast of Mexico and the Gulf of California. It is a smaller shearwater, with a length of 30–38 cm, 76–89 cm wingspan and a mass of around 400 g. This species is pelagic and feeds mainly on small fish. It is nocturnal, and is most active in low light settings.

The name "puffin" is thought to originate from the Middle English term "pophyn," which was used in the Middle Ages to describe the fatty, preserved young shearwaters that were prepared as food. Since shearwaters and Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) often nest in close proximity, the name 'puffin' was mistakenly applied to the Atlantic puffin. Over time, the name stuck, and today it is used for the Atlantic puffin species. The name "puffin" also remained associated with the shearwaters and the genus Puffinus.

The black-vented shearwater is one of around 21 other species in the genus Puffinus, eight of which reside in North and Middle America (see Christmas shearwater, Galápagos shearwater, Manx shearwater, Townsend's shearwater, Newell's shearwater, Bryan's shearwater, Sargasso shearwater... Wikipedia →