This Shearwater is identifiable by its size, at 45–56 cm in length and with a 112–126 cm wingspan.
It has brownish-grey upperparts, white underparts and a yellowish bill.
This species breeds on Madeira, the Azores and the Berlengas Archipelago in Portugal and the Canary Islands in Spain.
The biggest colony is located in Savage Islands, Madeira.
It can be seen on the other side of the Atlantic in the warmer waters of Florida and further north up to Maine as a non-breeding visitor (mainly May to November).
Its Mediterranean version is called Scopoli's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea).
Until around 2012, they were considered two subspecies.

Madeira, Portugal, 3 November 2013