Manx shearwater

They are small shearwater that is black on top with a white underbelly, and stiff, slim wings, which it flaps rapidly to fly, often ‘shearing’ and banking over the surface of the sea.

Manx shearwaters spend most their lives at sea, returning to their burrows only when nesting, and only during the night. They don’t like being on land during the day and will often sit on ‘rafts’ out at sea until darkness falls. These birds are completely silent at sea, but during breeding season they will fill the night with haunting, crooning calls that once inspired tales of the supernatural.

Manx shearwaters are the longest-lived birds in Britain. They are one of Scilly’s most enigmatic birds and a symbol of conservation success on the islands. The Isles of Scilly are one of only two places in England where they breed, but at one point the Manx shearwater was on the brink of extinction on our islands. There were just a handful of breeding pairs remaining, and they were completely absent from the St Agnes and Gugh.

Luckily, thanks to targeted conservation work from the Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project, since 2015 the numbers of Manx shearwaters have been steadily increasing. In recent years, there have been over 80 breeding pairs recorded around the islands, a marked increase from just a decade ago.

There is evidence that Manx shearwaters have existed on Scilly since prehistoric times. The eldest living Manx shearwater lived to an incredible 50 years old. The individual was ringed in 1957 on Bardsey Island and last seen in 2008, still returning to the same place to nest.

You can help Scilly's Manx shearwaters by adopting one with us today. You'll receive an eco-friendly pack full of locally designed artwork, decorations and photographs, as well as information about your adoption and shearwaters on Scilly. 

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