Galápagos Shearwater
Puffinus subalaris
Silhouette: Juan Carlos Jerí · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderProcellariiformes (Tubenoses)
- FamilyProcellariidae (Shearwaters and Petrels)
- GenusPuffinus (Small Shearwaters)
- SpeciesPuffinus subalaris (Galápagos Shearwater)
About the Galápagos Shearwater
The Galápagos shearwater (Puffinus subalaris) is a small shearwater. Until recently it was considered to be a subspecies of Audubon's shearwater, but it is actually one of two members of a very ancient lineage of the small Puffinus species, the other being, as indicated by mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data, the Christmas shearwater.
It is an endemic breeder of the Galápagos Islands, and is largely sedentary, although individuals are commonly seen as far as the Oaxacan coast of Mexico. The Galápagos shearwater has dark brown upperparts, undertail and underwing flight feathers, the rest of the underparts plumage being white. It sometimes has a dark collar. Both sexes are alike, as are the young after fledging.
It is a slender-bodied shearwater, about 29–31 cm long, with a wingspan of around 63 cm and weighs 123-225 g. The species closely resembles the tropical shearwater, although the latter is typically blacker and has a longer tail.
The Galápagos shearwater is a gregarious species and will feed at sea with other shearwaters and boobies. It flies low over the water and feeds on squid, fish and offal. It intersperses 4-10 stiff wing beats with shallow... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Darién National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Coiba National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | Manuel Antonio National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Marino Ballena National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 7 | Las Baulas Marine National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Corcovado National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 10 | Piedras Blancas National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Galápagos Shearwater in Darién National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Galápagos Shearwater sighting in Darién National Park, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Galápagos Shearwater in Darién National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Galápagos Shearwater in Darién National Park in our monthly data.