- Puffinus auricularis
Includes: Rapa Shearwater; Newell's Shearwater
Identification
33 cm. Black above and white below, black half-collar, black undertail-coverts and thighs, white flank patch extending to side of rump. Underwing black around leading and trailing borders sharply demarcated from central white areas.
Distribution
The nominate form breeds off Mexico on the Pacific side, newelli breeds in Hawaii, while myrtae breeds on Rapa Island (Austral Islands).
Taxonomy
Three subspecies recognized which are sometimes split into three species:
- P. a. auricularis breeds on Revillagigedo Islands (off western Mexico), disperces to 8°N - Townsend's Shearwater
- P. a. newelli breeds Kauai (Hawaiian Islands); dispersal unknown - Newell's Shearwater
- P. a. myrtae breeds on Rapa Island in the Pacific Ocean - Rapa Shearwater
Habitat
Rocky burrows, bushy areas at forest edge.
Behaviour
It nests in rocky burrows.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2015. IOC World Bird Names (version 5.3). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Townsend's Shearwater. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Townsend%27s_Shearwater