Birds nocturnal

Manx Shearwater

Puffinus puffinus

A master of the Atlantic winds, the Manx Shearwater travels from the coast of Wales to South America and back, living a secret life in underground burrows by night and soaring over the whitecaps by day.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Length 12–15 in (30–38 cm); Wingspan 30–35 in (76–89 cm); Weight 12–20 oz (350–575 g)

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Colors

Jet black or dark brownish-black upperparts contrasting sharply with pure white underparts and underwings; bill is dark; legs are pinkish-gray.

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Key Features

Distinctive 'shearing' flight tilting from side to side
Long, narrow wings held perfectly straight
Sharp black-and-white color boundary through the eye
Tubular nostrils on a slender, hooked bill

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern nocturnal

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Peak hours 10 PM - 3 AM (at nesting sites); Dawn and dusk (foraging at sea)

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Season April-September

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Diet Small shoaling fish (like sand eels, herring, and sprats), squid, and crustaceans caught by surface-plunging or shallow diving up to several meters deep.

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Habitat Pelagic (open ocean) most of the year; nests in burrows on offshore islands, grassy slopes, and coastal cliffs.

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Behavior

The Manx Shearwater is a true mariner, spending the vast majority of its life at sea. They are famous for their 'shearing' flight pattern, where they use the wind currents just above the waves to glide effortlessly, tilting their bodies so that one wing almost touches the water. While they are graceful in the air, they are clumsy on land, only visiting their nesting sites under the cover of total darkness to avoid predatory gulls.

These birds are world-class travelers, performing an incredible trans-Atlantic migration. After breeding on islands in the North Atlantic, they fly thousands of miles to spend the winter off the coast of South America. They are highly social at their colonies, where thousands of pairs gather in underground burrows, creating an eerie symphony of cackling and screaming calls that can be heard throughout the night.

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Camera Tips

Capturing a Manx Shearwater on a trail camera is a unique challenge because they are strictly nocturnal on land and rarely visit typical 'backyards' unless you live on a coastal cliff or island. To see them, you must focus on their nesting burrows. Place your camera on a short tripod or a low rock, angled downward toward a known burrow entrance. Because these birds sit low to the ground and move awkwardly, a mounting height of just 6 to 12 inches is ideal for capturing their facial features and behavior.

Since they only appear at night, high-quality infrared (IR) flash is mandatory. White light will disorient the birds and potentially attract predators like Great Black-backed Gulls to the nest site. Set your camera to 'Hybrid Mode' if available, capturing a high-resolution still followed by a 15-20 second video clip. This allows you to record their strange, rhythmic 'skerr-rick' vocalizations, which are a highlight of shearwater monitoring. Ensure your PIR (motion) sensitivity is set to high, as their dark feathers can sometimes blend into the night, making it harder for sensors to trigger.

Weather protection is vital. Nesting colonies are often in extremely windy, salt-sprayed environments. Use a protective security housing and regularly wipe the lens with a microfiber cloth to remove salt crust. If you are trying to capture them at sea from a coastal vantage point, a camera with a fast trigger speed and 'Burst Mode' is necessary to freeze their rapid flight as they shear across the waves. Avoid using any food lures; instead, focus on the natural activity around the colony during the dark of the moon, when activity is highest.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Manx Shearwater.

Sooty Shearwater

Much larger and almost entirely dark brown/sooty, lacking the crisp white underparts of the Manx.

Balearic Shearwater

Has a 'muddier' appearance with less contrast between its brown back and dusky-white belly.

Atlantic Puffin

Much shorter wings, a stocky build, and a massive, colorful bill compared to the slender shearwater.

Frequently Asked Questions

Manx Shearwaters are strictly nocturnal when on land to avoid predators like gulls. They typically arrive at their breeding colonies about two hours after sunset and depart before the first light of dawn. At sea, they are active during the day, especially at dawn and dusk when fish move closer to the surface.

You cannot attract Manx Shearwaters with traditional feeders. They are pelagic birds that only come to land on remote islands or specific coastal cliffs to nest. If you live in a coastal area, you might occasionally find a 'wrecked' bird after a storm; in these cases, they need professional wildlife rescue rather than backyard birdseed.

Their diet consists almost entirely of small sea creatures. They primarily hunt shoaling fish like sand eels and sprats, but they will also take squid and small crustaceans by diving into the water or 'pattering' along the surface.

No, they are rarely seen in suburban areas. They spend most of their lives miles offshore. The only exception is during 'wrecking' events, where young birds become disoriented by artificial lights during foggy or stormy weather and land in gardens or streets, mistaking wet tarmac for the sea.

While they share a historical name link, they look very different. The Manx Shearwater has long, slender wings and a thin black bill, and it flies low over the water with a tilting motion. Atlantic Puffins are 'chubbier,' have short wings with a rapid, buzzing wingbeat, and possess a large, brightly colored triangular bill.

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