How to identify
- Straightforward to identify as its clean black and white plumage can be seen in almost any conditions
Where and when
Something like 95% of the world’s population of Manx Shearwater breeds on islands off the UK coast. The biggest colony by far is on Skomer off the Pembrokeshire coast, and other sizable colonies are found on the islands of Rum, Bardsey and Skokholm. They have also made a good recovery on Lundy Island.
Behaviour
In common with other shearwater species, they often fly close to the water, with one tip literally appearing to shear the surface of the water.
Manx Shearwaters migrate down to the South Atlantic to spend much of the winter around the Falkland Islands shelf, meaning they travel mammoth distances over their lifetimes.
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