Wales is a special place for Sea Birds for a Number of Reasons....

Paula Mckenna • 31 May 2023

Why is Wales so special for Sea Birds?


It really is though, isn't it! I love this time of year. I also like walking in the local woods, along rivers and over the moors. All these places are alive with birdsong and bird activity, but it’s on the sea cliffs where things get really special.

I get so excited by seeing a puffin. They are such a charismatic bird, it’s hard to resist them. When passing South Stack we should keep well away from the cliffs to avoid unnecessarily disturbing them, and the other very hard working birds. But you can float past, gently, between 50 and 100 m off the base of the cliffs and the birds will come to you. Don’t stay too long, don’t make any sudden movements, just enjoy being there. You’ll see a lot of birds, guillemots probably dominate in this location, but every now and then there will be a puffin. In fact whilst puffins grab all the attention you should be aware that Wales is even more important on a global scale as a breeding ground for Guillemots and Razorbills.

Why do they come here?


If you are a seabird you’ll spend the largest chunk of your life at sea. The three already mentioned tend to spend most of the year on the Atlantic Ocean south of Greenland and East of Newfoundland. This is where they live, in this watery world come rain, shine or storm, quite remarkable.


They can’t however incubate their eggs and raise their young on the ocean so they come on to land to do that part of their life cycle. They need a coastline that can support them and has space to live.


 Wales is a special place for seabirds for a number of reasons:

  • Abundant food sources: Wales has a long and rugged coastline with a variety of habitats that provide food for seabirds. These include rocky cliffs, sandy beaches, and estuaries. The sea around Wales is also rich in fish and other marine life, which is a major food source for seabirds.

  • Safe breeding grounds: Wales has a number of islands and offshore rocks that provide safe breeding grounds for seabirds. These islands are often free from predators and offer a sheltered environment for raising young.

  • A lack of disturbance: Wales has a relatively low human population, which means that seabirds are not as disturbed by people as they might be in other parts of the world. This helps to ensure that they can breed successfully and raise their young in peace.

 So, it’s quiet and there are remote cliff ledges for nesting on. The food is relatively plentiful in the sea, but the birds have to dive to get it. It’s hard to measure how deep birds can dive, but this is the sort of thing ornithologists like to spend their time doing. They have found out that the wee puffin can dive to depths of 60 metres (nearly 200’!). Guillemots can dive to a mere 50 metres. But the champion diver of these three is the Razorbill. It can dive to depths of 120 metres, nearly 400 feet deep! One of the benefits of the birds being able to dive to different distances is that they are not competing for the same food.

Gannets are, I think, one of the most spectacular of our seabirds. They are beautiful and the way they fold back their wings as they plunge in the water is something I can watch all day. Pembroke has the world’s third largest colony and whilst they can’t dive as deep as the aforementioned birds they do it in such style.


Our seabirds are threatened on several fronts. Climate change is messing with their food supply. Plastic pollution, disturbance, by-catch, and invasive species are all challenges they have to face. You can find out more and contribute to the support of seabirds by visiting the RSPB’s website.


Seabirds are a special, and spectacular, part of the ecosystem of the Welsh coastline. It’s fantastic that they keep coming back here. We should appreciate them, and campaign for them, but, please, give them space to breed and feed.


Blog by Mike Raine, Canoe Wales Environment and Sustainability Leader - If you would like him to come and visit your club, your paddling group, or one of your courses, just drop him a line: mike.raine@canoewales.com

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