A study of Manx shearwaters found that rapid eastward journeys across the Atlantic disrupted their internal clocks, causing them to drift off course. While experienced adults could correct their flight paths, younger birds risked travelling hundreds of kilometres in the wrong direction.

Researchers analysed 20 years of GPS tracking data from Manx shearwaters returning to breeding colonies off the UK’s west coast.

Adult birds deviated by up to 15 degrees, adding approximately 5 km to journeys of 1,000 km. The birds rely on the sun’s position to navigate, using their internal clocks to interpret its movement across the sky.

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