Galápagos Shearwater: Facts and Where to See It

Until recently the Galápagos shearwater was considered a subspecies of Audubon's shearwater, which is why many lists, including ours, still use that name in the address of this page. DNA studies showed that it is one of only two members of a very ancient lineage of small shearwaters; the other is the Christmas shearwater of the central Pacific.

• Look. Dark brown upperparts, undertail and underwing flight feathers; the rest of the underside is white. Some birds have a dark collar.
• Sexes alike. Males, females and young birds after fledging look the same.
• Lookalike. The tropical shearwater is similar but usually blacker, with a longer tail.

Shearwaters are named for the way they fly close to the waves. The Galápagos shearwater flies low over the water, mixing 4 to 10 stiff wingbeats with shallow glides. It is sociable and often feeds at sea alongside other shearwaters and boobies, taking squid, fish and offal. It is largely resident in the islands, although some birds are commonly seen as far away as the coast of Oaxaca in Mexico.

Guide sighting records list one site, rated Possible: the trail on South Plaza, where the path runs along cliffs above the sea. Look for shearwaters skimming low over the water below the cliffs. Rafts of shearwaters feeding with boobies can also turn up while the ship is under way.

Galápagos shearwaters are largely resident, and the guide records list them at South Plaza in every month. In the next twelve months, 337 departures stop at the site.

No. BirdLife lists it as Least Concern, with about 35,000 mature birds, but the population is thought to be decreasing. In Galápagos, park rules keep visitors on marked trails and at least 2 metres (6 feet) from wildlife.

1. Looking for it on land. You will mostly see it over the water.
2. Mistaking it for a petrel. Shearwaters fly with stiff wingbeats and glides, close to the waves.
3. Forgetting binoculars. The birds keep their distance from the cliffs.