Balearic Shearwater

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: South coast (autumn).
Diet: Fish.
Best time to spot: Critically endangered.

When to look

Scarce or local in the UK. Timing varies by region, so check recent sightings before you travel. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in British seabirds.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Balearic Shearwater sits in our Rare tier for the UK: scarce or very local, so most birders need a planned trip. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Audubon's ShearwaterLegendary · Pelagic (very rare)
• Barolo ShearwaterLegendary · Open sea (extreme vagrant)
• Mediterranean ShearwaterLegendary · Med + Bay of Biscay
• Manx ShearwaterUncommon · Atlantic; islands (summer)
• Cory's ShearwaterRare · South-west approaches (autumn)
• European SerinRare · South coast scrub

Kit that helps

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