Pelagic Bird Found on the East Coast

Manx Shearwater

Pelagic birds are seldom seen near the island, as they live mostly on the high seas. Most of the records we have on ebird.org were made by observers who were on vessels, except for our two native species, the Audubon’s Shearwaters (Puffinus lherminieri) that breed in St. Lucy and the Red-billed Tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus) that breed in St. Philip. On November 25th, a visiting couple discovered a rare bird on an east coast beach, a Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus), which was identified by Ed Massiah. The bird was injured, lost the primary feathers on its right wing, and had a leg wound that seemed to be caused by a fishing line or net.

injury on the leg

Ed also kindly agreed to take and keep the bird until it could be brought to the RSPCA for treatment. The staff there have helped many wounded birds in the past, such as the  Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) in 2019, Greater Shearwater (Ardenna gravis) in 2016, link 2, Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), to name a few. He also consulted a veterinarian on how to care for it until we could get it there. Sadly, it died before it could reach the RSPCA.

The Manx shearwater is a medium-sized seabird that measures 12–15 in (30–38 cm) long and has a wingspan of 30–35 in (76–89 cm). It is known for its amazing migration, traveling thousands of miles between its wintering grounds in the southern Atlantic, Brazil, and Argentina, and its breeding grounds in northern Atlantic countries like the United Kingdom, Iceland, etc. These birds are closest to our island during February and March when they migrate to their breeding grounds. It would be wonderful to see these beautiful birds in their element, far out at sea, in the pelagic zone. Yes, a boat trip is needed for some open-water birding, maybe in 2024.

Stay safe and enjoy your birding.