Petrels/shearwaters? Mallorca (1 Viewer)

[stevethehydra]

All these were seen from a coastal boat trip between Sa Colabra and Port de Soller (north coast of Mallorca where the Tramuntana mountains come straight down to the sea, with high cliffs and very few coves/harbours) on 31st May 2024. I have no idea what any of them are, and not necessarily expecting a definite species ID, but any suggestions, even just based on range/likelihood, are welcome!

There were in general very few seabirds around - just these and a few gulls (Audouin's and Yellow-legged), nothing at all on the cliffs (despite plenty of potential nest sites - I guess auks, gannets, kittiwakes just aren't in the area?)

 

[Butty]

4-5. Cory's shearwater - or whatever it's called this week.

 

[Southern Viking]

First 3 will be Balearic Shearwater, 4 and 5 Scopoli's Shearwater on range (Cory's are still called Cory's, Scopoli's have been split).

 

[Butty]

Confusing, isn't it. It's Cory's shearwater as-was that's been split (by some) - into 2-3 spp, which are generally being called Cape Verde shearwater, (confusingly and ill-advisedly) Cory's shearwater (mainly E Atlantic), and Scopoli's shearwater (Mediterranean).

 

[Southern Viking]

Confusing, isn't it. It's Cory's shearwater as-was that's been split (by some) - into 2-3 spp, which are generally being called Cape Verde shearwater, (confusingly and ill-advisedly) Cory's shearwater (mainly E Atlantic), and Scopoli's shearwater (Mediterranean).

On the plus side, at least they aren't Band-rumped/Madeiran Petrels or Crossbills!

 

[THE_FERN]

(The last is a gull. Fools venture in with an image of this quality, but perhaps yellow-legged)

 

[kb57]

I thought I'd read somewhere that a re-lumping of Cory's and Scopoli's was likely (but not Cape Verde?), although AFAIK they've never been split by Clements. And wasn't there also a proposal to re-lump Balearic and Yelkouan?

 

[stevethehydra]

Thanks, shearwaters are a group I have no clue about!

The first 3 pics were close together in time, as were the next 2, but I couldn't tell you how many individuals were involved - getting the birds in my viewfinder was hard enough! I think I saw at least 4 shearwater-type birds on the trip.

I forgot to say why I put the last (clearly a gull on looking again) pic in - there were a couple of gull-coloured birds staying close to the cliffs and flying more stiffly than the obvious gulls, which I wondered if they could be fulmars (unsure whether they occur in the Med!). But I think this one wasn't actually one of them, though it did look smaller than a nearby YLG, so my assumption is it's an Audouin's (commoner than YLG over the whole week in Mallorca)... I think I didn't actually manage to photograph any of the possible fulmars.