 |
|
|
 |
The giddying cliffs of St Kilda are home to almost a million seabirds. |
|
|
|
 No visitor can fail to be impressed by the spectacle of nearly a million seabirds wheeling around St Kilda’s awesome cliffs.
One of the largest colonies in the North-east Atlantic, St Kilda is of global importance for a great range of species:
-
Largest colony of Northern Gannets in the world, holding one seventh of the total population
-
Largest colony of Leach’s Storm Petrel in the EU, with 94% of the European population
-
Largest colony of Atlantic puffins in the EU, holding a quarter of the UK population
-
Largest colony of Northern Fulmars in the EU, more than double the size of the next largest colony
-
Last Great Auk in the UK killed here in 1840
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
N Fulmar
|
136,896
|
10,090
|
22,432
|
85,530
|
18,718
|
|
Manx Shearwater
|
9,606
|
|
444
|
9,162
|
|
|
E Storm Petrel
|
2,242
|
168
|
|
1,016
|
1,058
|
|
Leach's Petrel
|
90,866
|
24,184
|
55,408
|
7,210
|
4,068
|
|
N Gannet
|
119,244
|
119,244
|
|
|
|
|
European Shag
|
38
|
|
14
|
24
|
|
|
Arctic Skua
|
2
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
Great Skua
|
480
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common Gull
|
2
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
Herring Gull
|
68
|
58
|
|
2
|
8
|
|
Lesser BB Gull
|
60
|
14
|
14
|
26
|
6
|
|
Greater BB Gull
|
64
|
28
|
4
|
8
|
22
|
|
BL Kittiwake
|
3,032
|
800
|
1,080
|
828
|
324
|
|
C Guillemot
|
31,347
|
7,879
|
2,876
|
14,610
|
5,901
|
|
Razorbill
|
3,378
|
343
|
1,097
|
1,652
|
264
|
|
Black Guillemot
|
62
|
34
|
|
20
|
8
|
|
Atlantic Puffin
|
284,528
|
|
|
|
|
The above table shows the most up to date number of breeding individuals counted during complete surveys of the islands. Most were last counted in 1999/2000 as part of Seabird 2000. Gannets were counted in 2004 and Kittiwakes in 2006.
|
|
|
 |
Almost a seventh of the world’s population and 33% of Scotland’s population breeds on St Kilda...
|
|
|
