by Sofia Giakoumi

Have you heard of tracking devices? Like the one on your pet in case it gets lost? Now imagine them not on pets, but on seabirds! _[⭐​]

That’s exactly what scientists did with young Yelkouan Shearwaters, a small species of seabird that lays ONLY ONE EGG _{[⭐​⭐​]} each year in order to study their AERIAL PATHS _{[⭐​⭐​⭐​]}, and learn how best to protect them.

Well, they discovered something incredible! While the adult birds fly straight to their destination, the youngsters “take their time”, spending A WHOLE WEEK EXPLORING _{[⭐​⭐​⭐⭐​]} the nearby islands and coastlines before settling on a route!

Scientists explain that “These first journeys are their SCHOOL OF LIFE”: they learn how to find food, identify safe areas, migrate, and strengthen their wings for the future long flights.”

🥽 Want to dive deeper?
Read all about these young seabirds’ escapades on the LIFE MareNatura project page:
👉 lifemarenatura.eu – Puffinus Telemetry 2025

Disclaimer: This link leads to an external site. Bubble Buddies Bay is not responsible for its content, but we think you’ll find it fascinating!

Notes

_[⭐] Yes, on seabirds! These tiny tags record exactly where the birds go and send the data back to the scientists. It’s like a smartwatch for birds!
_[⭐⭐] Precious Cargo: When you only lay one egg a year, you know that chick is precious! This is why scientists need to be super-sure about the safest migration routes.
_[⭐⭐⭐] "Aerial paths" is just a grown-up, fancy way of saying the routes the birds take in the sky. Think of them as invisible, high-speed sea highways!

_{[⭐⭐⭐⭐]}  Think of it as a feathered "try-before-you-fly-far" week: they look around, learn the neighbourhood, and finally choose the best path. What a clever way to learn!