Birds · Procellariiformes · Procellariidae

Manx Shearwater

Puffinus puffinus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It spends most of its life on the open sea, coming ashore only to nest in burrows on oceanic islands. One documented bird reached 50.9 years of age.

Weight

350 g – 575 g

Size

30 cm – 39 cm

Lifespan

25 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanIslandsCarnivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Ocean Islands

17countries 20parks10same family

Fun facts

One documented bird reached 50.9 years of age, an exceptional lifespan.
Left behind by its parents, the chick loses weight on its own for over a week before it first takes to the air.
The English word 'puffin' originally belonged to this bird and was later transferred to the seabird that carries it today, because the two nest in much the same way.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Oceanic islands of the North Atlantic, nesting in burrows and spending most of its life at sea
Birth weight: 45 grams
Size at birth: Altricial, staying in the underground burrow and fed by its parents for some two months
Sexual maturity: 5-6 years
Gestation / incubation: 47-66 days
Litter / clutch size: 1 egg per clutch

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animal Spot; Animalia.bio; Madeira Birds; Audubon Field Guide; Bird Spot; Wikipedia (Manx shearwater)

Where to find it

See its range on the interactive map

Best time: From March to September at the colonies in Wales, Ireland and Iceland, and passing off the Iberian coast; it winters in the South Atlantic.