The Cory's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) is the largest pelagic bird, of the family Procellariidae, breeding in Europe. Its upper plumage is brown to grey-brown, that of the underparts whitish, the neck and head are grey. It has a large pinkish-yellow bill, light at its base, dark at its tip and provided with tubular nostrils. This bird has long, flexible and narrow wings, grey-brown above and white edged with brown below. The upperparts are brownish-grey. The belly and breast are white, with the sides of the breast, neck and head dirty grey. The bill is pale pinkish-yellow with a dark spot at the tip. There is no sexual dimorphism. The appearance of juveniles is similar to that of adults.
Size: 45-56 cm
Wingspan: 100-125 cm
Weight: 700-800 g
Natural distribution areas of Cory's shearwater
The Cory's Shearwater range in the Mediterranean extends from the islets of Greece to the Zaffarine Islands (Spain), over nearly 150 sites. Three-quarters of the population is concentrated in the Sicily Channel. In the Atlantic, the Cory's Shearwater breeds on the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands. Finally, a third subspecies is found in Cape Verde.
In France, the thousand breeding pairs of Cory's Shearwater recorded occupy 25 sites, more than half of which are located in Corsica. The main French colonies are the Cerbicales and Lavezzi islands in Corsica; and the Hyères, Frioul and Riou archipelagos in Provence. The European population of the species is estimated at between 270,000 and 290,000 pairs. The largest population is found in the Azores with 188,000 pairs. The Canary Islands are home to 30,000 pairs, Madeira between 16,000 and 25,000 pairs, Italy between 15,000 and 18,000 pairs. France is home to between 970 and 1,200 pairs, including 220 to 250 pairs in the Riou Archipelago, 200 to 250 pairs in the Hyères Islands archipelago and between 590 and 715 pairs in Corsica spread over 17 sites.
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