# Manx Shearwater (*Puffinus griseus*) The Manx Shearwater is a seabird that glides gracefully over the ocean. It has a sleek body and long wings! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Open oceans and coastal areas - **Also known as:** Manx Puffin ![Manx Shearwater](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424603/objects/4630.jpg) ## Appearance The Manx Shearwater has striking blackish-brown upperparts and pure white underparts, with a distinct line where the dark and light feathers meet. It possesses a slender body, long narrow wings, and a thin, dark bill with tube-like nostrils. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Procellariiformes - **Family:** Procellariidae - **Genus:** Puffinus ## Interesting facts - A single Manx Shearwater chick is raised by both parents who take turns flying far out to sea to hunt! - Despite their small size, Manx Shearwaters can live for over 50 years, making them very long-lived birds! - These incredible birds spend nearly their whole lives flying over the open ocean, rarely touching land! - When they return to their breeding islands, they often find the exact same burrow they used last year! ## Special abilities - **Deep-Sea Diver:** Manx Shearwater can 'fly' underwater using its wings, chasing fish far below the surface with incredible agility. - **Ocean Navigator:** Manx Shearwater has an amazing internal compass, helping it find its way across vast oceans for thousands of kilometers. - **Saltwater Sipper:** Manx Shearwater has special glands that remove excess salt, allowing it to drink ocean water without harm. - **Burrow Builder:** Manx Shearwater can dig long burrows into soft ground on islands, creating safe nests for its chick. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 30-38 cm - **Wingspan:** 76-89 cm - **Weight:** 0.35-0.55 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-55 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1 - **Incubation:** 47-55 days - **Migration Distance:** 16000 km ## Diet & Feeding Tiny fish, squid, and crustaceans make up their ocean meals. - **Primary Foods:** sardines, herring, sprat, squid, crustaceans - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Great Black-backed Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-black-backed-gull) (*Larus marinus*) — Gulls prey on chicks and eggs at breeding colonies. - **Eaten by:** [Brown Rat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-rat) (*Rattus norvegicus*) — Introduced rats can devastate eggs and chicks in burrows. - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Foxes can prey on adults and chicks where they share breeding islands. - **Hunts:** [Atlantic Herring](https://www.snappit.app/explore/atlantic-herring) (*Clupea harengus*) — A primary food source caught by diving and pursuit underwater. - **Hunts:** Veined Squid (*Loligo forbesii*) — Manx Shearwaters dive to catch this common squid species. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Gliding](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/gliding): Gliding animals move through the air by launching themselves and maintaining flight with specialized body structures, without flapping wings. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Manx Shearwater? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Manx Shearwater? 30-38 cm ### What is Manx Shearwater's wingspan? 76-89 cm ### How much does Manx Shearwater weigh? 0.35-0.55 kg ### How long does Manx Shearwater live? 20-55 years ### How fast can Manx Shearwater move? 60 km/h ### What does Manx Shearwater eat? Tiny fish, squid, and crustaceans make up their ocean meals. ### Where is Manx Shearwater usually found? Open oceans and coastal areas ## Where to spot - [Revere Beach Parkway](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/revere-beach-parkway) — Massachusetts, US · Park ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Manx Shearwater: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/manx-shearwater)