Beyond the echoes in the dark: new insights on Manx shearwaters in La Palma

May 6th, 2026

"Some mysteries don’t disappear—they evolve. What began as a search for presence has now become a quest for proof. In 2026, we returned to La Palma to take the next step..."

The first GPS tracks, acoustic recordings, and nocturnal observations from our previous campaign had pointed to specific areas where Manx shearwaters were likely breeding (see here - Manx shearwaters). Yet, despite these promising signs, direct confirmation of nesting sites remained elusive. In 2025, we successfully captured and fitted five Manx shearwaters with GSM/GPS devices, providing the first detailed movement data from this population. These tracks revealed several potential nesting areas on land.

This year, we were equipped with a netgun, allowing us to safely capture shearwaters at sea and deploy additional GSM/GPS devices. At the same time, we visited the areas identified last year on land, checking their accessibility and refining our search for nesting sites. By combining both efforts, we aimed to strengthen our dataset and get closer to confirming where these birds are breeding on the island!

Map credit: Adrián Pina

Previous campaigns

Research on Manx shearwaters in La Palma has been sporadic but persistent. Early work in 2006 confirmed the species’ presence at sea, yet provided no evidence of nesting sites. More recently, our 2023 expedition combined climbing surveys, thermal imaging, and even a trained detection dog, highlighting both the potential and the difficulty of locating nests in such rugged terrain.

Building on these efforts, our 2025 work marked a turning point: the first deployment of GPS trackers and systematic acoustic monitoring, which revealed consistent activity in specific areas and provided the first strong indications of potential breeding sites on land. Together, these campaigns laid the foundation for a more targeted approach—one that we brought back to the island in 2026.

The 2026 field campaign is supported by the MAC Puffinus LIFE2030 project, funded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and coordinated by João Nunes, Director of the Funchal Natural Park, Madeira, Portugal.

Additional support is provided by the REDUCE project, funded by the European Union and coordinated by Jacob González-Solís, Full Professor and Head of the Seabird Ecology Lab at the University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Data collected during the 2025 campaign under the AMPLIAMAR project — funded by the Fundación Biodiversidad and led by Jacob González-Solís — provided the first tracking data for this species. These data enabled the identification of the first potential Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) for this subspecies in Spanish territory.

Map credit: Diego Vicente-Sastre

Back in the field

We arrived in La Palma in mid-February to begin the 2026 field campaign. This year’s work was coordinated on the island by Irati Abascal and Adrià Bellmunt Ribas, drawing on their experience in fieldwork and climbing to assess access to key areas and design the fieldwork plan for the season.

Building on the efforts from the previous team and the results obtained in 2025, we started this new campaign with a much clearer direction. Working in La Palma’s rugged terrain with such a little-known species is very much like finding a needle in a haystack. The tracking and acoustic data from 2025 were key to narrowing down the search and identifying where to begin in such an inaccessible landscape.

Land fieldwork

This year, building on the work done of our previous campaign, we refined our approach and expanded our toolkit to better understand the presence and behaviour of Manx shearwaters on La Palma.

Thermal binoculars

Nocturnal surveys played a central role, supported by thermal binoculars that allowed us to detect bird activity in the darkness with greater precision

Sound recorders

At the same time, we deployed 14 acoustic recorders across different ravines, targeting key areas to capture vocal activity and improve our ability to pinpoint potential breeding sites

Aerial Drone

Drone flights were also carried out to characterize habitat features in otherwise inaccessible terrain, offering a broader perspective of the landscape these birds may rely on.

audio_puffinus.mov

Echoes of the Manx shearwater

Acoustic recording of Puffinus puffinus canariensis (Song Meter Micro 2, Wildlife Acoustics)

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Shearwaters at night

Manx shearwaters in thermal vision

At-sea

Spotting scope

From land, we continued scanning the ocean for rafting flocks, using these observations to guide our pelagic surveys.

Raft characterization

Once at sea, we documented their distribution, group composition, and abundance.

GSM/GPS

We successfully captured 16 individuals to equip them with GPS/GSM devices—an important step toward unveiling their movements at sea and their connection to potential breeding areas on land.

Map credit: Adrià Bellmunt Ribas

Source: Data provided by Félix Medina, Biodiversity Unit, Cabildo of La Palma

We also incorporated historical data into our work, compiling reports of young birds disoriented by artificial lights and found on the ground, shared by local residents with the Cabildo de La Palma between 2000 and 2025. This gave us valuable context, helping us spot patterns and focus our efforts where they were most needed.

Tracking Their Movements

This year’s field season started more slowly than expected. Throughout March, a succession of storms severely limited our opportunities to work at sea, forcing us to constantly adapt our plans. While Adrien Lambrechts and Jérome Cabelguen from the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) —who joined us in person last year—were not on the island this time, they continued supporting us remotely alongside Chris Gaskin from the New Zealand Seabird Trust. With our own netgun and their guidance, we gradually refined our approach under challenging conditions.

After seven unsuccessful attempts, we finally began capturing on the 4th of April. By the 28th, we had tagged 16 individuals with GPS-GSM devices. The devices were deployed using Tesa tape, attached to the feathers on the birds’ upper back, with an estimated transmission duration of 3–5 weeks before naturally falling off. Among them, one bird appears to belong to the northern population associated with Skomer Island, while another visited Madeira before starting its return to La Palma. The rest seem to follow patterns similar to last year, foraging along the coasts of Morocco and Mauritania.

On land, GSM data has already helped us identify new ravines and areas with frequent visits, opening promising leads for further exploration. The team remains on the island, aiming to tag a few more individuals while prospecting these sites to assess their potential as nesting areas.

Interactive map updated daily, showing GSM track positions from the previous two days!!

Interactive map updated daily, showing GSM track positions from the previous two days (devices fitted between 4–28 April).
Maps credit: Diego Vicente

Video Project 1.mp4

Pictures credit: Adriá Bellmunt

Looking ahead

As the fieldwork comes to an end, the team will begin analyzing the data collected during the campaign, aiming to gain new insights into the ecology of the Manx shearwater and support its conservation.

The collaboration between MacPuffinusBestLIFE2030, REDUCE and AMPLIAMAR highlights how coordinated research can improve our understanding of marine ecosystems and guide effective conservation actions.

In the coming weeks, movement data will help clarify the behavior of this little-known population and contribute to identifying Key Biodiversity Areas.

These results will also feed into the MAC Puffinus LIFE2030 project, helping to locate unknown breeding sites, improve monitoring, and address key threats such as invasive predators. At the same time, the project seeks to raise awareness and promote shared responsibility for protecting the species.

Acknowledgements

We would like to sincerely thank the Cabildo of La Palma for their continuous logistical support on the island, which has been essential for the successful development of this field season. In particular, we are very grateful to Félix Medina, Miguel, Francisco, and Javier for their assistance and availability throughout the campaign.

Special thanks go to Miguel Medina (''Cabrilla''), his son Kevin, and Carlos Lopes for their exceptional dedication and commitment during the at-sea capture operations. Their effort, reliability, and support on every outing were fundamental, and without them the successful tagging of all individuals would not have been possible.

We are also deeply grateful to Adrien Lambrechts, Jérôme Cabelguen, and Chris Gaskin for their remote support, guidance, and technical advice. Their expertise in the use of the netgun and in at-sea capture methodologies was key to refining our approach and ensuring safe and effective operations under challenging conditions.

Finally, we would like to warmly thank Adrián Pina for his constant support throughout the entire campaign, as well as for sharing valuable information and previous observations that greatly contributed to the planning and interpretation of our field work.

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