Recommended birdwatching sea trips to watch this seabird

Zino’s Petrel Pelagic Expedition - though it is the hardest breeding seabird to be observed

Barolo’s Shearwater Field ID Keys

Shape & Size

A very small shearwater with rounded wings and head with a steep forehead, short and thin bill.

Colour Pattern

The upperparts are black while the underside is white. The face is white with the dark eye standing out. The rear edges of the wings are silvery-grey.

Behavior

This little shearwater has a distinctive low-levelled ‘aukish’ jizz. Its flutter and glide flight generally does not describe arcs and sometimes raises its head during flight.

Habitat

This seabird species is exclusive to the North Atlantic archipelagoes of Madeira, Azores and Canary Islands, also known as Macaronesian islands, and lives all year relatively near to its breeding area but is very rarely seen and/or identified since it does not follow ships or come to chum and, with its wave-top flight, is easily missed.

Distinction from similar species

Can be differentiated from Manx shearwater by its smaller size, quicker flight with faster wingbeats, its shorter bill and white face.

Puffinus baroli Biometrics

Wingspan: 58 - 61 cm (Howell, 2012)
Total length: 26 - 28 cm (Howell, 2012)

Other Bird Facts

Seasonality in Madeira: Lives all year relatively close to its breeding area though it is very difficult to be observed/found at sea.
Breeding: Nests in cliffs of islets and rocks around Madeira, Porto Santo, Desertas and Selvagens. The egg is laid no later than February and the juveniles leave their nests by May,

Status

Madeira local status by Correia-Fagundes et al, 2021: Very rare breeding bird
Madeira local status by Romano et al, 2010: Rare breeding bird
Madeira local status by Zino et al, 1995: Rare breeding bird
Conservation status by the IUCN Red List Categories, 2013: Least Concern ver 3.1

Name of this species in other languages

Portuguese: Pintaínho, Fura-buxos
German: Makaronesischer Sturmtaucher
Dutch: Kleine Pijlstormvogel
Swedish:
Danish: Lille Skråpe
Finish: Kanariankääpiöliitäjä
Norwegian: Makaronesialire
Spanish: Pardela de Barolo, Pardela chica
French: Puffin de Macaronésie
Italian: Berta di Barolo
Polish: Burzyk malutki
Slovak: Víchrovník makaronézsky
Czech: Buřňák kanárský
English synonyms: Macaronesian Shearwater, Little Shearwater