BREEDING BIOLOGY OF THE MANX SHEARWATER PUFFINUS PUFFINUS

Studies on the breeding biology of Puffinus puffinus were carried out in 1963 and 1964 at the large colony on Skokholm, Wales. During the six weeks before laying the birds spent up to a quarter of the days in the burrows, but the ten days immediately prior to laying were normally spent at sea. There is a prolonged laying period, with a marked peak in the first half of May. Details are given of a second egg being laid when the first was deserted immediately after being laid. The male took the first incubation spell. The incubation spells ranged from one to 26 days and averaged six. The incubation period was about 51 days. The frequency of visits to land by breeding birds, unlike those by non-breeders, was not affected by the moon. On hatching, the chicks grew rapidly and reached maximum weights of between 505 and 755 gm. sometime between 39 and 61 days. There was a variable desertion period, usually eight or nine days, before the chicks left the island about 70 days after hatching. During the feeding period the chick received about two feeds every three days. There is evidence that adults visited the chicks more frequently than this. There was no correlation between growth of the chicks, their feeding rates or fledging weights and the time of laying. There was a high survival (about 95 %) of chicks during the fledging period but some eggs were lost in disputes for burrows. Nine pairs in 1964 were unable to raise two young simultaneously. Parents altered their feeding rhythms to try to feed two young but did not themselves lose weight. It is suggested that the critical factor in the production of young is the availability of food for the young immediately after they leave the colonies.