Manx Shearwater

Puffinus puffinus (Brünnich, 1764)

Manx Shearwater, Puffinus puffinus, breeds on islands in the subarctic, temperate and subtropical North Atlantic Ocean and spends the non-breeding season in South Atlantic waters off Brazil and Argentina, reaching Tierra del Fuego and south-west Africa, mostly over continental shelves. It is a seabird in the family Procellariidae, first described by Brünnich in 1764. It nests in burrows on small islands and visits them only at night. The species is entirely marine and usually flies close to the sea surface. Its name is linked to the Isle of Man, where the English name was first recorded.

Order

Procellariiformes

Family

Procellariidae — Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels

Breeding range

Atlantic Ocean: islands of subarctic, temperate and subtropical North Atlantic Ocean

Nonbreeding range

to South Atlantic Ocean waters of Brazil and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego and sw Africa, mostly over continental shelves