Manx Shearwater

Overview

The Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) is a medium-sized seabird belonging to the family Procellariidae. It is entirely marine, typically flying within 10 metres of the sea surface, and is classified by the IUCN as being of least concern despite a population that is slowly declining.

Identification

• Size: 30–38 cm in length with a 76–89 cm wingspan and a weight of 350–575 g.
• Flight: Characteristic 'shearing' flight where wings dip from side to side on stiff wings, appearing as a flying cross with black upper parts and white under-sides alternately exposed.
• Voice: Mainly silent at sea, but produces raucous croons, howls, and screams on nocturnal visits to nesting burrows; males have clear ringing tones, while females produce harsher sounds.

Habitat

Nests in burrows on small islands in the north Atlantic Ocean, including regions of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and parts of north-east North America. Breeding colonies are deserted from July to March, when birds migrate to the South Atlantic to winter mainly off Brazil and Argentina, with smaller numbers off south-west South Africa.

Diet

Feeds on small fish such as herring, sprats, and sand eels, as well as crustaceans, cephalopods, and surface offal. The bird catches food off the surface or by pursuit diving, often foraging alone or in small flocks, and can detect food items at a distance using its sense of smell.

Did you know?

The current English name for this species was first recorded in 1835 and refers to its nesting on the Calf of Man, whereas the scientific name derives from 'puffin', a word that originally referred to the cured carcasses of nestling shearwaters eaten as a delicacy before being applied to the Atlantic puffin.