Ethereal and enigmatic, Manx shearwaters are one of the species that makes Scilly special as they skim across the waves, gather in rafts offshore or croon from their burrows.

If you explore the seas around Scilly in summer, whether that be scanning the water as you travel on the Scillonian III, enjoying a seabird safari or watching the iconic gig racing in the evenings, you might notice smallish black and white white birds shearing the surface. They dip a wing to the water as they glide on the wind or gather in great rafts just offshore awaiting the cover of darkness to return to their burrows. These are Manx shearwaters, and they are symbolic of conservation success on the Isles of Scilly.

This mysterious little bird is known for its haunting call and was once mistaken for witches by pirates off the coast of Wales! They fly thousands of miles to return to the same burrow every year, occasionally shared with rabbits or puffins, and successfully nest on small islands off the west coast of Britain, including St Agnes and Gugh. They are so named for the Isle of Man, which once sported one of the largest colonies. Raising one extremely fluffy chick a year, the parents wait until night time before heading back to their burrows with fish.

Archaeological evidence indicates that Manx shearwaters have been on Scilly since at least 2000BC. However, predation from rats (introduced from shipwrecks in the 17th Century) meant that by 2014, there were only 24 nesting pairs left on St Agnes and a chick had not survived in 100 years. Thankfully, the Seabird Recovery Project (2013-2017), in partnership with the St Agnes community, successfully removed the rats and the population is now increasing annually.