Skellig Islands consent. During the 2014 nesting season, black-legged kittiwake chicks in nests were swept into the sea by the downdraught from a helicopter and devoured by gulls. Both of the Skellig islands are known for their seabird colonies, and together comprise one of the most important seabird sites in Ireland, both for the population size and for the species diversity. Among the breeding birds are European storm petrel ("Hydrobates pelagicus"), northern gannet, northern fulmar ("Fulmarus glacialis"), Manx shearwater ("Puffinus puffinus"), black-legged kittiwake ("Rissa tridactyla"), common guillemot ("Uria aalge"), razorbill ("Alca torda") and Atlantic puffin ("Fratercula arctica") (with 4,000 or more puffins
Yelkouan shearwater Yelkouan shearwater The yelkouan shearwater, Levantine shearwater or Mediterranean shearwater ("Puffinus yelkouan") is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. Yelkouan shearwaters are 30–38 cm long, with a 76–89 cm wingspan. It has the typically "shearing" flight of the genus, dipping from side to side on stiff wings with few wingbeats, the wingtips almost touching the water. This bird looks like a flying cross, with its wing held at right angles to the body, and it changes from very dark brown to white as the dark upperparts and paler undersides are alternately exposed as it travels low over the