The species is marine and is normally found in offshore waters, but also pelagic and near land in the vicinity of colonies. It breeds on oceanic islands and rocky offshore islets, occupying cliffs and earthy slopes, usually with little more than herbaceous vegetation, or amongst rocks. In the north-east Atlantic it breeds mainly late February to March (Carboneras et al. 2014). It breeds from late January in the, birds from the Salvages (Madeira) arrive at colonies in July. The species is colonial, often nesting at low densities and in small numbers, sometimes in mixed colonies with other species, for example Calonectris diomedea, which out-competes the present species for burrows in the Azores (Monteiro et al. 1996). It nests in rock crevices or self-excavated burrows and clutch size is a single egg. It feeds mainly on fish, squid and crustaceans. Little is known about the species’s movements. Adults are thought to be largely sedentary and immatures probably more dispersive (Carboneras et al. 2014).

Although the generation length for both EU and Europe regional assessments were calculated using the same methodology, new information arriving after the EU assessments were undertaken gave rise to an update in the generation lengths. This new information was then used for the Europe level assessments giving rise to a difference between the generation lengths used for the EU and Europe regions.

The species is found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean (Carboneras et al. 2014), breeding principally in Madeira (Portugal), the Azores (Portugal) and the Canary Islands (Spain) .

Conservation Actions Underway
EU Birds Directive Annex I. Bern Convention Appendix II. In Spain, awareness campaigns have been run to promote the conservation of this species (Madroño et al. 2004).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Control of invasive rats and cats is needed in colonies. Breeding areas and their surroundings should be protected and new marine reserves created. Censuses and monitoring is needed to ascertain distribution and it population size. In the Canaries, studies on the impact of fisheries would help inform conservation (Madroño et al. 2004).