Puffinus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Puffinus |
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| Fluttering shearwater, Puffinus gavia | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Procellariiformes |
| Family: | Procellariidae |
| Genus: | Puffinus Brisson, 1760 |
| Type species | |
| Puffinus puffinus Brünnich, 1764
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Puffinus is a group of seabirds. They are also known as shearwaters. These birds are usually small to medium-sized. There are about 20 different kinds of Puffinus shearwaters.
You might think Puffinus sounds like "puffin," but they are not related! Puffins are a different type of bird called auks. The name Puffinus actually comes from an old English word for "puffin."
Contents
What are Shearwaters?
Shearwaters are amazing birds that spend most of their lives at sea. They are known for how they fly. They often fly very close to the water, using the air currents above the waves. This looks like they are "shearing" the water.
These birds belong to a larger group called Procellariiformes. This group includes other seabirds like petrels. Some other large shearwaters are in different groups, like Calonectris and Procellaria. Even though some of these are called 'petrels,' they are actually more closely related to shearwaters.
Types of Puffinus Shearwaters
Scientists group animals based on how they are related. This is called taxonomy. The Puffinus group includes many different species. They are often divided into two main types:
Smaller Shearwaters
This group includes smaller species of Puffinus. They are closely related to the Calonectris shearwaters. Some examples are:
- Christmas Shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis)
- Galápagos Shearwater (Puffinus subalaris)
- Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus)
- Little shearwater (Puffinus assimilis)
Some of these birds are only known from very old bones. For example, the Dune Shearwater (Puffinus holeae) lived a long time ago.
Larger Shearwaters
This group includes bigger species of Puffinus. They are a different family line. Some well-known examples are:
- Pink-footed shearwater (Puffinus creatopus)
- Great shearwater (Puffinus gravis)
- Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus), sometimes called "muttonbird" in New Zealand.
- Short-tailed shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris), also called "muttonbird" in Southern Australia.
- Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus pacificus), another "muttonbird" in Northern and Western Australia.
These larger shearwaters often travel very long distances across the oceans.
Images for kids
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Comparison between P. olsoni and P. puffinus
See also
In Spanish: Puffinus para niños
