Recommended birdwatching sea trips to watch this seabird

Bird, dolphin and whale watching trip
Zino’s Petrel Pelagic Expedition

Manx shearwater Field ID Keys

Shape & Size

Manx Shearwater is a medium-small sized marine bird with thin bill, long and narrow wings and a relatively short tail.

Colour Pattern

A black and white shearwater. The underside is white while the upper parts are completely black. Its bill is thin, long and black. In flight, it is possible to see the dark undersides of the wing tips.

Behavior

Manx Shearwater flies quickly, with some glides with a few changes in direction. It has a very rapid and strong wing beat. In the nesting season, these birds gather at sea by the evening before heading for their nesting colony inland.
The bird moves with great difficulty on land as it has very weak feet.

Habitat

Manx shearwater is a pelagic bird though it is common to see it from the coast. In Madeira archipelago, the breeding birds are present between February and July, their nesting season though by end of August and early September it is possible to observe Manx shearwaters on their migration southwards, where they spend the winter offshore.

Distinction from similar species

The bird can be distinguished from Barolo’s Shearwater Puffinus baroli by its black face in the eye zone and its slightly larger size.

Puffinus puffinus Biometrics

Wingspan: 75 - 84 cm (Howell, 2012)
Total length: 31 - 35 cm (Howell, 2012)
Weight: 350 - 450 g (Hume, 2002)

Other Bird Facts

Seasonality in Madeira: The breeding birds are seen between February and July while by end of August and early September it is possible to observe this species in their migration route.
Breeding: The bird excavates a deep nest in the rock, about 1 metre deep, and lays just a single egg in the sole annual laying. Incubation lasts about 50 days and the chick is fed by both parent birds for approximately 6 weeks before leaving the nest in July.
Diet: Feeds on fish and small squid and it dives to catch it.

Status

Madeira local status by Correia-Fagundes et al, 2021: Common breeding bird
Madeira local status by Romano et al, 2010: Common breeding bird
Madeira local status by Zino et al, 1995: Very common breeding bird
Conservation status by the IUCN Red List Categories, 2013: Least Concern ver 3.1

Name of this species in other languages

Madeiran: Patagarro
Portuguese: Pardela-sombria, Bobo-pequeno
German: Schwarzschnabel-Sturmtaucher
Dutch: Noordse Pijlstormvogel
Swedish: Mindre lira
Danish: Almindelig skråpe
Finish: Pikkuliitäjä
Norwegian: Havlire
Spanish: Pardela Pichoneta
Catalan: Baldriga pufí
French: Puffin des Anglais
Italian: Berta minore
Polish: Burzyk pólnocny
Slovak: Víchrovník malý
Czech: Buřňák severní