: and mid Jul-late Aug with from early Jun and to late Sep. Not known to breed but small numbers nest on Matinicus Rock, not far to the west.
Miscellany: As with all seabirds, numbers in our area depend on available food resources and those vary from year to year. In 2017, one or two Manx Shearwaters were seen on about half of the Bar Harbor whale watch cruises between mid Jul and late Aug. In 2016 none were seen in this period.
Manx Shearwater was famously involved in the first long distance homing experiment when, in the early 1950s, one was taken from its Welsh breeding colony and flown to Boston where it was released. It returned to its breeding burrow, a distance of about 3200 miles, in 12.5 days.
Last Updated: June 3rd, 2022