Page 51 - Brighetti1979
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and others are certainly stili to be discovered. In Corsica the situation is hardly com-
forting and this may depend (as elsewhere) upon the early breeding relative to the
ornithologist's visits; the species now appears to be decreasing. Regarding to the middle
Adriatic Sea colonies exist in the Tremiti Islands, where breeding has been known since
ancient times and where this species looks more frequent. Given the present situation one
can assume that the breeding population should be about ·10-60% less than the Calo-
nectris diomedea one.
Among limiting factors we can remember the ones have mentioned for the Mediterranenn
Shearwater, although this species, for its smaller size and less sturdy bill, is more often
a victim of predators ( dogs, cats, birds of prey, etc.). A direct competition with Calo-
nectris diomedea in the occupation of nesting sites cannot be ruled out. Recently it has
been discovered (France, Provençal coast) that every year a great number of specimens
is killed by fishing nets (especially nylon ones) thrown down to considerable Jepth
( 20 to .30-50 m.!).

Movements. Relatively ancl locally migrant (Febraury/mid-March and late July/mid-
September) it makes dispersals and winter wanderings along the coasts and near the
islancls; it is not generally founcl very far olfshore and travels even many lmndreds of
kilometres to fine! food. In the Straits of Messina in the sumrner a southward movement
(towards the Ionian Sea feeding grounds) takes piace in the morning, while a baek one
in the late afternoon ( towarcls breeding colonies in the Tyrrhenian Sea). In the upper
Adriatic the species regulady appears along the coasts of the Friuli Venezia Giulia and
more scarcely along the Venetian ones, certainly coming from the numerous colonies
of Dalmatia and Quarnero. In the Ligurian Sea sizable and regular presences can be
recorded, especially in spring.
The most interesting winter concentrations can be observed along the north-eastern coasts
of Tunisia (especially Gulf of Hammanet/Cape Bon) and also along the Algerian ones,
where the species is present throughout the year. It sporadically appears in inland areas
of the continent (Emilia Romagna, the Veneto, Umbria).
3 specimen ringed in Maltese ls. in May (1976), ]une (1972} and July (1976) was
respectively recovered at Lagonisi (Greece) in July (1976), on the Black ::ica in August
( 1975) and in }une ( 1978).

Manx Shearwater · Puffinus puffinus puffinus
Subspecies of the temperate areas of the north-easternA tlantic Ocean. It cannot he
excludcd that some specimens entel's the Mediterranean Sea following the flocks of
Puffinus puffinus mauretanicus, which regularly pass through the Straits of Gibraltar.
A specimen ringed in England (Lundy Islancl) was recovered in February (195.3) in the
Mediterranean France (Grau du Roi).

Balearic Shearwater · Puffùws puffinus mauretanicus
Subspecies of the Balearic Islands andperhaps of the islands of northern Marocco
( Chafarinas I.). It certainly appears in tbe centrai Mecliterranean Sea, o!l the western
coasts of Sardinia and Corsica. Repeatedly observed along the French Mediterranean coast.

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