Sargasso shearwater (Audubon's shearwater)

How it lives

It nests in colonies on islands, in rock crevices, burrows or under dense plants. A pair lays one egg a season. Incubation takes about 49 to 51 days and chicks fledge after about 62 to 75 days. Birds first breed at about 8 years. It usually stays alone or in small groups at sea and is not commonly a ship-follower.

Where it goes

After breeding, birds disperse across the north-west Atlantic, especially along the Gulf Stream and the Sargasso Sea. Off North Carolina they are seen mainly from mid-May to mid-October, with a peak in July and August. They feed around weed lines where Sargassum collects.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

Wikipedia lists 30,000 to 59,000 birds with a decreasing trend, and Least Concern status (2018). It breeds mainly on islands in the Caribbean and the Lucayan Archipelago, with some birds nesting off eastern Brazil. Taxonomy has changed: the old, wider Audubon's shearwater is now split into several species by most authorities, including Boyd's, tropical, Persian and others. The IOC list splits Boyd's shearwater off, while IUCN keeps it within this species. Records from the Indian and Pacific oceans filed under the old name may refer to those other species. I did not find population figures by country.