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Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus   [Brünnich, 1764]
Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links
Order: Procellariiformes Family: Procellariidae
BTO Codes: MX, MANSH EURING No: 460
Number in Britain: 295 thousand pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: AMBER
European: 2 Concern, most in Europe; Localised
Global: Least Concern
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  

Status in UK: (A)  Migrant Breeder
Subspecies: Monotypic
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Length: 34 cm Wingspan: 82 cm Weight: M/F: 420 g    
Scientific name from: English: puffin (from puff+ing)
World Distribution: BREEDS: is of n Atlantic, RANGES: Atlantic s to Argentina & rarely Australia
Habitat: Pelagic, breeds in island burrows & on cliffs
Diet: Mostly small fish and squid, also small crustaceans and offal from surface or diving
TitBit: The call of this bird so scared Norse sailors, they thought the Scottish island of Rum was inhabited by trolls. It is the longest lived bird in Britain, with one living at least 55 years.  
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Population and Distribution
Population Trend: No population trend available
Distribution: Atlas Maps    (Help with the New Atlas)   
British Population Size:
    Summer: 295 thousand pairs in 1998-02
    First Record: 1660 [Fossil evidence from early Holocene, up to 10,000 yr ago]
    Latest Survey: Mitchell, P.I. et al. (2004) Seabird populations of Britain and Ireland Poyser, London
    Conservation Status: AMBER because Species of European Concern, Recent Breeding Range Decline (1969-2007), Localised Breeding Population, Important Breeding Population
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 AMBER     1996-2001 AMBER  
   Races of Concern:
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
    Summer: 350 to 390 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: Bern(II)
Survey Results: Seabird 2000 (warning: link to large pdf)
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Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 61 x 42 mm Egg Weight: 57.0 g (of which 7 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 36
Clutch Size: 1 eggs
Incubation: 47- 55 days by the: Male + Female
Fledging: 62 - 76days as: Altricial, downy
First Clutches Laid: Unavailable
Number of Broods: 1

Number Ringed: 3246
Adult Survival: 0.905       
Juvenile Survival: 0.250 (to age 5 )  
Age at First Breeding: 5 years Typical Lifespan: 15 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 49yr 11m
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Biometrics
Ring Size: Foe or E*
Wing Length Adult: 240.1 ± 4.9 Range 232 - 248 mm, N =1967
Juvenile: 239.0 ± 4.7 231 - 248 mm, N =177
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Weight Adult: 383.1 ± 39.10 Range 330.0 - 455.0 g , N =855
Juvenile: 391.4 ± 48.72 319.0 - 470.0 g , N =560
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
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Other Names
Includes P. mauretanicus
Gaelic: Fachach-bŕn Welsh: Aderyn-Drycin Manaw
Danish: Almindelig skrĺpe Dutch: Noordse pijlstormvogel
Finnish: Pikkuliitäjä French: Puffin des Anglais
German: Schwarzschnabel-Sturmtaucher Hungarian: Bukdosó vészmadár
Icelandic: Skrofa Irish: Cánóg Dhubh
Italian: Berta minore Norwegian: Havlire
Polish: Burzyk pólnocny Portuguese: Pardela-sombria
Spanish: Pardela pichoneta Swedish: Mindre lira
Local Names: Lyrie
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For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Brooke, M. 1990 The manx shearwater Poyser, London [598.442 BRO]
   Hamer, K.C. 2004 BWP Update 5:203-213
   Lockley, R.M. 1942 Shearwaters J.M. Dent, London [598.442 LOC]
See Also:
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005
Find more papers on Google Scholar
Find more papers on Scirus

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BirdWeb logo, click to go to BirdWeb BirdFacts home | BTO Home
Email: birdfacts@bto.org

These data should be cited as:
Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.24, June 2009). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)

 

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