Manx Shearwater Birds on Copeland Island

We had to wait until it was very dark, about 10.30pm. before going out and we were well wrapped up with warm clothes on to look for Manx Shearwater birds.

Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) is a medium-sized Shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. The scientific name of this species records a name shift: Manx Shearwaters were called Manks Puffins in the 17th century. Puffin is an Anglo-Norman word (Middle English pophyn) for the cured carcasses of nestling Shearwaters. The Atlantic Puffin acquired the name much later, possibly because of its similar nesting habits.

This bird is 30–38 cm long, with a 76–89 cm wingspan. It has the typically "shearing" flight of the genus, dipping from side to side on stiff wings with few wing beats, the wingtips almost touching the water. This bird looks like a flying cross, with its wing held at right angles to the body, and it changes from black to white as the black upper parts and white undersides are alternately exposed as it travels low over the sea.

The prefix Manx, meaning from the Isle of Man, originated owing to the once large colony of Manx Shearwaters found on the Calf of Man (a small island just south of the Isle of Man). The species became extinct as a breeding bird there owing to the accidental introduction of rats from a shipwreck in the late 18th century; however a recent control program has resulted in Manx Shearwaters returning to breed in small numbers.

Manx Shearwaters are long-lived birds. A Manx Shearwater breeding on Copeland Island, Northern Ireland, was as of 2003/2004 the oldest known living wild bird in the world: ringed as an adult (at least 5 years old) in July 1953, it was retrapped in July 2003, at least 55 years old.

 Manx Shearwaters migrate over 10,000 km to South America in winter, using waters off southern Brazil and Argentina, so the 55-year-old bird mentioned above probably covered over 1,000,000 km on migration alone (not counting day-to-day fishing trips). 

Their migration also appears to be quite complex, containing many stopovers and foraging zones throughout the Atlantic Ocean.  Ornithologist Chris Mead estimated that a bird ringed in 1957 (aged about 5 years) and still breeding on Bardsey Island off Wales in April 2002 had flown over 8 million km (5 million miles) during its 50-year life.

Eve found the oldest bird that weekend.  It was at least 30 years old.  Most birds usually return to the same sub colony, are faithful to their area, nest site and partner.

They nest in burrows, laying one white egg which they visit only at night to avoid predation by large gulls. The islands are usually free of mammalian predators (but on the island of Rùm, about 4 percent of the chicks are preyed on by Red Deer that need extra calcium.) They form lifelong monogamous pair-bonds.

The Manx Shearwater feeds on small fish (particularly herring, sprat and sardines), crustaceans, cephalopods and surface offal. The bird forages individually or in small flocks, and it makes use of feeding marine mammals and schools of predatory fish, which push prey species up to the surface. It does not follow boats.

 This species breeds in the North Atlantic, with major colonies on islands and coastal cliffs around Great Britain and Ireland. Manx Shearwaters have nested along the Atlantic coast of north eastern North America since the 1970s and have expanded their breeding range southward into the Gulf of Maine, with a pair confirmed as nesting at Matinicus Rock. 

This is a gregarious species, which can be seen in large numbers from boats or headlands, especially on passage in autumn. It is silent at sea, but at night the breeding colonies are alive with raucous cackling calls.

This Sheatwater has been ringed and moving very awkwardly on land to find its burrow again.  They  didn't seem worried about being handled.

Folklore

In the nineteenth century Manx novel 'The Manxman' by Sir Hall Caine, a reference is made to the satanic folklore surrounding the Manx shearwater, apparently due to its unusual call and dark appearance.

 Although it was pitch black I thought I would try and take a shot at the Narcissi and I think now they remind me of stars.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the Manx Shearwaters being caught and ringed.

Iam linking this post with WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY

Thank you for visiting and tomorrow I will show you what I photographed on Copeland Island while I was there on Saturday.

Many thanks for commenting on any of my post.  I appreciate every single one.