The introduction of the porgs was somewhat controversial, with some critics claiming the creatures were introduced to cater to children and boost merchandise sales. However, the production team has stated that the porgs were created to account for the puffins in the background of outdoor shots set on Ahch-To. Puffins are native to the Skellig Islands, which served as the filming location of Ahch-To, and local conservation laws prevented the filmmakers from taking actions that would keep the puffins out of frame; they either had to remove the puffins from the shots with digital editing or disguise them as something else to maintain continuity. Disguising the puffins proved technically easier and cheaper than removing them, which led to the development of the porgs. The porgs' voices were created through a mixture of sounds from turkeys, chickens, and doves.