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| Calonectris diomedea | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cory's shearwater |
| Status | LC |
| Status system | IUCN3.1 |
| Genus | Calonectris |
| Species | diomedea |
| Authority | (Scopoli, 1769) |
Calonectris diomedea is a large pelagic seabird in the family Procellariidae, known commonly as Cory's shearwater. It breeds on islands across the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, undertakes long-distance migrations, and is recognized for its dynamic soaring flight and nocturnal colony behavior. The species has been the subject of ornithological studies by researchers at institutions such as the Royal Society, Linnean Society, and various universities across Europe and North America.
Calonectris diomedea was described by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in the 18th century and has been treated variably in taxonomic works, including those by the International Ornithologists' Union and the British Ornithologists' Union. Molecular phylogenetic analyses published in journals like Nature, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, and Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution have compared mitochondrial DNA and nuclear markers across Procellariidae genera such as Ardenna, Puffinus, and Pterodroma, clarifying relationships among Cory's shearwater, Scopoli's shearwater, and related taxa. Taxonomic decisions have involved conservation bodies including BirdLife International, the IUCN, and regional agencies in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Morocco. Historic museum collections at institutions such as the Natural History Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, and American Museum of Natural History preserve type specimens and contributed to systematic revisions.
Adults are large, with a wingspan comparable to larger seabirds studied by ornithologists at Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard, and exhibit a brownish upperwing, pale underparts, and a distinctive dark trailing edge. Field guides produced by the RSPB, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Audubon Society provide plumage details used by birdwatchers in regions like Madeira, Azores, Canary Islands, and the Balearics. Morphometric studies in journals associated with the American Ornithological Society and European Ornithological Union report body mass, wing chord, and bill dimensions, with sexual dimorphism noted in comparisons following methods used by researchers at Wageningen University, University of Barcelona, and University of Lisbon. Vocalizations at colonies have been recorded and analyzed by researchers collaborating with institutions such as the British Trust for Ornithology, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and University of Glasgow.
The species breeds on Atlantic and Mediterranean islands including Selvagens, Berlengas, Madeira, Azores, Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Giglio, Pianosa, Linosa, and is recorded offshore in waters adjacent to Portugal, Spain, France, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. At-sea distribution overlaps with pelagic zones surveyed by expeditions funded by the European Commission, National Geographic Society, and marine programs at WHOI, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the University of Cape Town. Habitat use includes coastal cliffs, burrowable soils on islets associated with conservation areas administered by NGOs such as WWF, BirdLife, and institutions like CSIC, CIMA, and Instituto da Conservação da Natureza. Satellite tracking studies involving ESA, NOAA, and the Ocean Tracking Network have highlighted seasonal shifts between Mediterranean basins and Atlantic foraging grounds near the Azores and Canary Current.
Cory's shearwater exhibits dynamic soaring and slope soaring over oceanic winds, a behavior documented in biomechanical studies from MIT, Caltech, and University of Oxford. It forages in association with cetaceans studied by the Marine Mammal Center, and with surface-feeding fish documented by fisheries science at FAO and ICES. Social interactions at colonies involve nocturnal returning flights, site-fidelity measured in long-term studies by Natural England, ICNF, and ISPRA, and predator avoidance strategies against introduced mammals such as rats and cats, with eradication programs led by RSPB, Island Conservation, and local authorities. Parasite and pathogen surveys conducted by veterinary teams at University of Edinburgh, University of Liverpool, and Institut Pasteur have examined ectoparasites and zoonoses relevant to colony health.
Breeding occurs in dense colonies on islands, with nesting in burrows or rock crevices as described in monographs from the British Ornithologists' Club and publications by the American Bird Conservancy. Clutch size is usually a single egg, incubation is biparental and monitored in demographic studies by universities like the University of Seville, University of Granada, and University of Porto. Chick rearing involves provisioning flights documented in telemetry work by researchers affiliated with CSIC, CNRS, and the Max Planck Institute, with fledging periods compared across populations in studies from the University of Barcelona and University of Athens. Conservation programs by regional ministries, Natura 2000, and Parque Natural authorities manage invasive species, light pollution, and human disturbance to protect breeding success.
Diet consists primarily of small pelagic fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans, with foraging tactics observed in pelagic studies by the Pelagic Seabird Project, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and ICES workshops. Feeding behavior includes surface-seizing, shallow plunge-diving, and following fisheries vessels, documented in analyses by the FAO, European Commission fisheries research, and NGO reports from Greenpeace and Oceana. Stable isotope studies and stomach content analyses by laboratories at University of Murcia, CSIC, and University of La Laguna have elucidated trophic niches and seasonal diet shifts related to oceanographic features studied by NOAA, Copernicus, and the Mediterranean Oceanographic Institute.
The species faces threats from bycatch in longline and trawl fisheries assessed by FAO, ICCAT, and regional fisheries management organizations, from invasive predators addressed by island eradication initiatives by Island Conservation and local governments, and from habitat loss and light pollution targeted by environmental agencies including European Commission DG Environment and UNEP. Climate change impacts mediated by shifts in sea surface temperature and prey distribution have been modeled by IPCC-related research teams, universities such as the University of Exeter and University of Lisbon, and NGOs including BirdLife International and WWF. Conservation measures include protected area designation under Natura 2000 and marine protected areas enforced by national parks and ministries of environment in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece, alongside mitigation techniques developed by the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, and by bycatch reduction projects supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.