Manx shearwater fact sheet

Puffinus puffinus | Manx shearwater

The Manx shearwater is a pelagic and gregarious species that is about 25% smaller than the Cory’s shearwater. During the breeding season (April - August) individuals meet in bands at sea, towards the end of the afternoon, before returning to land where they spend the night. On land they are quite clumsy. They are  similar in appearance to Macaronesian shearwaters, however the colour of the head is different (in the Manx shearwater the dark  zone on the head reaches below the eyes). These birds fly by rapidly beating their wings with fast and strong strokes that carry them over the water. They are efficient divers, feeding both at the surface and underwater. The single egg is laid in the  middle of April and newborns fledge at about 70 days of age (in the Azores most newborns leave the nest in the middle of August). This species spends the winter off South America. The Manx shearwater is listed in the Portuguese red book with the status of "Endangered" in Portugal and "Vulnerable" in the Azores and Madeira. This species is classified as "uncommon breeding" in the Azores.


Length: 30 - 38 cm

Weight: 375 - 447 g

Wingspan: 76 - 82 cm

Population: 
• Global: c.1,000,000
• Azores: 115 - 235 breeding pairs (has been restricted to the two islands of the occidental group)

Breeding age: 5 years

Longevity:
• Typical: c.15 years
• Maximum: 50 years

Diet: Small fish, squid, crustaceans and fish

Eggs: 1 (white)

Incubation: 47 - 55 days

Nesting sites: Inacessible cliffs

Fledging: 62 - 76 days


In other languages:
Portuguese: Estapagado
Spanish: Pardela pichoneta/Lechuzón mocho chico
French: Puffin des Anglais
Italian: Berta minore atlantica
German: Schwartzschnabel sturmtaucher
Dutch: Noordse pijlstormvogel
Swedish: Mindre lira
Norwegian: Havlire
Danish: Almindelig skråpe
Finnish: Pikkuliitäjä