The occurrence of shearwaters (Puffinusspp.) off the west coast of Canada

Abstract

Shearwaters, Puffinus spp., were studied off the west coast of Canada from 1975 to 1978. Sooty shearwaters, P. griseus, were the most abundant shearwaters off British Columbia in both May and September–October. Pink-footed shearwaters, P. creatopus, also occurred in both spring and fall. Flesh-footed shearwaters, P. carneipes, were found only in May. Buller's shearwaters, P. bulleri, were encountered in June and July during cruises across the Gulf of Alaska and in September and October off British Columbia. The recent increase of Buller's shearwater in the North Pacific is documented. A review of records of the short-tailed shearwater, P. tenuirostris, shows that it is usually rare and irregular off the coast of British Columbia. One black-vented shearwater, P. opisthomelas, was seen in the Gulf of Alaska. Sooty shearwaters occur off British Columbia in far lower numbers than off northern California, Oregon or Washington State. The manner in which sooty shearwaters migrate is described. The relationship between shearwater distributions and depths of water over the continental shelf are examined.

Modelling and mapping resource overlap between seabirds and fisheries on a global scale: a preliminary assessment

“…However, the same is not true for temperate waters where shearwaters also occur (e.g. Guzman & Myres 1983). Thus, we may have underestimated the number of seabird species and failed to predict the occurrence of shearwater species in certain cold temperate areas (e.g.…”

“…At the end of the breeding season they migrate to feed and winter in the waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans (e.g. Guzman & Myres 1983, Camphuysen 1995, Gould et al 1997, 1998, Spear & Ainley 1999, Ito 2002 On occasion shearwaters form flocks and feed with surface-schooling tunas (Au & Pitman 1988, Au 1991. These seabirds benefit when tunas drive prey closer to the surface where they can be reached by surface divers.…”