Manx shearwater
| Manx shearwater | |
|---|---|
| On Skomer | |
| Recording from Skomer Island, Wales | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Procellariiformes |
| Family: | Procellariidae |
| Genus: | Puffinus |
| Species: | P. puffinus |
| Binomial name | |
| Puffinus puffinus (Brünnich, 1764) | |
Breeding colonies (ranges are approximate)Non-breeding visitor | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Procellaria puffinus Brünnich, 1764 | |
The Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. The scientific name of this species records a name shift: Manx shearwaters were called Manks puffins in the 17th century. Puffin is an Anglo-Norman word (Middle English pophyn) for the cured carcasses of nestling shearwaters. The Atlantic puffin acquired the name much later, possibly because of its similar nesting habits.