Puffinus opisthomelas
Silhouette: Juan Carlos Jerí · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The black-vented shearwater (Puffinus opisthomelas) is a species of seabird endemic to islands off of the Pacific coast of Mexico and the Gulf of California. It is a smaller shearwater, with a length of 30–38 cm, 76–89 cm wingspan and a mass of around 400 g. This species is pelagic and feeds mainly on small fish. It is nocturnal, and is most active in low light settings.
The name "puffin" is thought to originate from the Middle English term "pophyn," which was used in the Middle Ages to describe the fatty, preserved young shearwaters that were prepared as food. Since shearwaters and Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) often nest in close proximity, the name 'puffin' was mistakenly applied to the Atlantic puffin. Over time, the name stuck, and today it is used for the Atlantic puffin species. The name "puffin" also remained associated with the shearwaters and the genus Puffinus.
The black-vented shearwater is one of around 21 other species in the genus Puffinus, eight of which reside in North and Middle America (see Christmas shearwater, Galápagos shearwater, Manx shearwater, Townsend's shearwater, Newell's shearwater, Bryan's shearwater, Sargasso shearwater... Wikipedia →
Call0:29
United States · 2014
© Justyn Stahl · XC190213 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-vented Shearwater sighting in Cabo Pulmo National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 84th most-seen of the 100 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-vented Shearwater in Cabo Pulmo National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months. That is one of Cabo Pulmo National Park's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain against almost none in April. July and August have too few records to rate.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-vented Shearwater sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Black-vented Shearwater sightings, Cabo Pulmo National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Channel Islands National Park (United States, under 5%) and El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-vented Shearwater is recorded against all the birds logged in Cabo Pulmo National Park (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
