An extraordinary migratory ritual is played out annually on Phillip Island and nearby French Island by around 1 million short-tailed Shearwaters (also known as Muttonbirds). These plucky birds complete a spectacular migration of 15,000 kilometres in just eight weeks, flying from the Aleutian Islands near Alaska, travelling via Siberia, South America, Antarctica and Japan to arrive on the shores of Western Port around the 24th of September every year.

Once in the region, they stay for nearly six months to rest, build their burrows and mate, with each pair producing one large egg. In another extraordinary feat of survival, chicks can wait up to 2 weeks between meals, whilst the adults travel to the waters around Antarctica to feed on krill, which they regurgitate for their chicks, waiting in burrows back in Western Port. In April, with the aid of strong westerly winds, the adults begin their northern migration, followed 2 or 3 weeks later by their chicks.