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title: "ACAP-listed albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters continue to be under threat in new Red Data List"
---

# ACAP-listed albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters continue to be under threat in new Red Data List

BirdLife International has this week released its taxonomic review of the World’s non-passerine birds, including seabirds, on behalf of the World Conservation Union’s Red Data List ([click here](http://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/news/Red-List-for-birds-2014)). This gives an opportunity to assess the current conservation status of the 30 ACAP-listed species.

 All of the World’s 22 species of albatrosses remain threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable) or Near Threatened in the new listing; none is categorized as Least Concern ([click here](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowbsearchresults.php?a=ns&SearchTerms=albatross)).

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Waved/Waved_ Albatross_incubating_by_Kate_Huyvaert.jpg)

 Waved Albatross: still Critically Endangered, photograph by Kate Huyveart

 A similar situation exists for the five species of *Procellaria* Petrels with four categorized as Vulnerable and only one, the Grey Petrel*P. cinerea*, being accorded the status of Near Threatened (although recategorization as Vulnerable has been proposed for this species).  In contrast, the two giant petrels *Macronectes* spp., remain as Least Concern.  The 30th ACAP-listed species, the Balearic Shearwater *Puffinus mauretanicus*, continues to be Critically Endangered ([click here](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowbsearchresults.php?a=ns&SearchTerms=petrel)).

 Two species of shearwaters that have been proposed for ACAP listing retain their threatened status: the Pink-footed Shearwater P. creatopus of Chile ([Vulnerable](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/factsheet/22698195)) and the Yelkouan Shearwater P. yelkouan of the Mediterranean ([Vulnerable](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/factsheet/22698230)).

 The 2014  listing includes some “new” species of seabirds due to taxonomic splitting, such as the [Desertas Petrel](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/factsheet/22736135) *Pterodroma deserta *of the Macaronesian Island of Bugio, coming in as Vulnerable.  However, other newly-described or recognized species, such as [Bryan’s Shearwater](http://www.acap.aq/index.php/en/news/news-archive/57-2012-news-archive/1179-newly-discovered-bryans-shearwater-survives-on-the-ogasawara-bonin-islands)*Puffinus bryani* and the [Pincoya Storm Petrel](http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1525/auk.2012.12071)* Oceanites pincoyae* have not as yet been included on BirdLife’s RDB list.

 **ADDED NOTE:**

 Bryan's Shearwater does appear on the IUCN official list (2014.2) as Critically Endangered [(click here](http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/45354718/0)). The Pincoya Petrel appears as Data Deficient ([click here](http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/45354823/0)).

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 25 July 2014*