VU
Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Brooke, M. de L. 2004. Albatrosses and Petrels Across the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - A4bcde

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2018 Vulnerable A4bcde
2016 Vulnerable A4bcde
2015 Vulnerable A4bcde
2012 Vulnerable A4bcde
2010 Near Threatened A4b,c,d,e
2008 Near Threatened A4b,c,d,e
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Not Recognised
1988 Not Recognised
Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type Average mass -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 5,480,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown medium estimated 2011
Population trend decreasing poor estimated 2008-2062
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 30-49% - - -
Generation length 18 years - - -

Population justification: Figures point to a total of 15,337-30,519 pairs, roughly equating to 46,000-92,000 individuals, based on a population assessment covering the species's entire range (Derhé 2012). However, this number is at odds with preliminary counts conducted in early February when c. 75,000-90,000 individuals have been recorded migrating through the Bosporus [J. Tavares and D. Sahin. in litt. 2012, D. Sahin in litt. 2015]), at a time when most breeders are already around their colonies in Malta, France, and Italy. More surveys are urgently needed to confirm breeding population sizes, particularly in the Aegean Sea and in Turkey.

Trend justification: Extremely low breeding success has been reported at several important colonies, particularly in Italy (Baccetti et al. 2009), as well as adult survival probabilities (across the western Mediterranean) that are currently too low to maintain stable populations (Oppel et al. 2011). There is evidence of both recent and historical colony extinctions, with eleven colonies having been reported extinct in the last 60 years (Bourgeois and Vidal 2008, N. Baccetti in litt. 2011, Cadiou 2015). The trends of populations in Albania, Algeria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece,Turkey and Tunisia are currently unknown. Declines are suspected in Croatia (for at least one colony [I. Budinski in litt. 2011]) and Greece (based on long-term trends [J. Fric in litt. 2011]) however the Greek population was reported as stable according to the European Red List of Birds (BirdLife International 2015).

It has been reported that the species is declining in Italy by 10-50% over 13 years (N. Baccetti in litt. 2011), in France by 6% per year (Oppel et al. 2011) and in Malta by 0-15% over nine years (Borg and Sultana 2002, Raine et al. 2009, Sultana et al. 2011). In total, these three countries represent around three-quarters of the known global population. By combining data for these three countries it is predicted that, if the species continues to decline at the current reported rate, the global breeding population will decrease by more than 30% in the next 54 years, i.e. three generations (Derhé 2012). These declines are retained despite increases reported for Italy and Malta in the 2015 European Red List of Birds (BirdLife International 2015). The reported increases may be either dependent on the trend at one colony or may be a result of better knowledge rather than real increases. Consultation with experts in the relevant countries suggests that overall the negative trends should be retained for the current assessment. However should new information suggest that these populations are experiencing genuine increases the global trend direction should be amended.


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Albania extant native yes
Algeria extant native yes
Austria extant vagrant
Bosnia and Herzegovina extant native
Bulgaria extant native yes
Croatia extant native yes
Cyprus extant native yes
Egypt extant native
France extant native yes yes
Georgia extant native
Gibraltar (to UK) extant vagrant
Greece extant native yes yes
Israel extant native yes yes
Italy extant native yes
Lebanon extant native yes yes
Libya extant native
Malta extant native yes
Monaco extant uncertain
Montenegro extant uncertain
Morocco extant native
North Macedonia extant vagrant
Palestine extant native yes yes
Romania extant native yes
Russia extant vagrant
Slovenia extant native yes
Spain extant native yes yes
Syria extant native yes
Tunisia extant native
Türkiye extant native yes
Ukraine extant native yes
United Kingdom extant vagrant

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Bulgaria Bakarlaka
Bulgaria Emine
Bulgaria Galata
Bulgaria Kaliakra
Bulgaria Ropotamo Complex
Bulgaria Strandzha
Croatia Hvar Channel
Croatia Korcula Channel
Croatia Lastovo Archipelago
Croatia Lastovo Channel
Croatia Northern Adriatic CRO
Croatia Offshore Islands
Georgia Batumi
Greece Astypalaia island and surrounding islets
Greece Dionysades islets, Crete
Greece Fournoi island
Greece Gulf of Kavala and marine area of Thasos island
Greece Ios, Sikinos and Folegandros islands
Greece Islands and islets of northern Dodecanese
Greece Islands and islets of northern Sporades and northwestern coast of Alonnisos
Greece Islets of western Limnos and cape Mourtzeflos
Greece Kalloni Gulf, Lesvos
Greece Makronisos channel
Greece Mikres Kyklades and Amorgos marine area
Greece Mikres Kyklades island complex
Greece Mount Athos and surrounding marine area
Greece Nestos delta and coastal lagoons
Greece Paros and Antiparos islands and surrounding islets
Greece Porto Lagos, lake Vistonida and coastal lagoons
Greece Psara and Antipsara islands and surrounding islets
Greece Rineia, Chtapodia and Tragonisi islets, Mykonos
Greece South Evvoikos Gulf
Greece Syrna island and surrounding islets
Greece Thasos island and Xironisi islet
Greece Western Lesvos marine area
Greece Western Skyros and islets
Italy Costa Viola
Italy Northern Adriatic IT
Italy Peloritani mountains
Italy San Pietro and Sant'Antioco islands
Italy Tavolara archipelago, Cape Ceraso and Cape Figari
Malta Comino island
Malta Dwejra Bay to San Dimitri Point
Malta Għawdex marine
Malta Grigal offshore
Malta Ic-Cnus to Tal-Bardan Cliffs
Malta il-Kullana to ta' Gifen Cliffs
Malta Lbiċ marine
Malta Majjistral
Malta Nofsinhar offshore
Malta Rdum Tal-Madonna
Malta St Paul Islands
Malta Ta'Cenc cliffs
Malta West of il-Hagra s-Sewda to ix-Xaqqa Cliffs
Malta West of Wied ix-Xaqqa to Wied Maqbyl Cliffs
Malta Xlendi Bay to Wardija Point Cliffs
Romania Black Sea
Romania Danube Delta
Russia (European) Utrish Reserve and adjacent coastal waters
Spain Mar del Empordà
Türkiye Ayvalık
Türkiye Babakale - Asos Coast
Türkiye Bodrum Peninsula
Türkiye Bosphorus
Türkiye Çanakkale Strait
Türkiye Çiçek Islands
Türkiye İstanbul Islands
Türkiye Karaburun and İldir Strait Islands
Türkiye Kizildag Izmir
Türkiye Kızılırmak Delta
Türkiye Mahal Hills
Türkiye Marmara Islands

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Marine Coastal/Supratidal Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands major breeding
Marine Neritic Pelagic major non-breeding
Marine Neritic Pelagic major breeding
Marine Oceanic Epipelagic (0-200m) major non-breeding
Marine Oceanic Epipelagic (0-200m) major breeding
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) suitable breeding
Altitude   Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact
Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Biological resource use Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest] Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Competition, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Biological resource use Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest] Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Whole (>90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 7
Stresses
Competition, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Species mortality
Energy production & mining Renewable energy Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Indirect ecosystem effects, Species disturbance
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Felis catus Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Rapid Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Rattus rattus Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases Problematic native species/diseases - Calonectris diomedea Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Competition
Pollution Industrial & military effluents - Oil spills Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Species mortality
Pollution Industrial & military effluents - Type Unknown/Unrecorded Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Reduced reproductive success
Residential & commercial development Tourism & recreation areas Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Species disturbance, Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Food - human subsistence, national
Food - human subsistence, national
Fuels subsistence, national
Fuels subsistence, national

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/yelkouan-shearwater-puffinus-yelkouan on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.