Fersiwn Gymraeg ar gael yma
Every year, Wales welcomes seabirds from all over the world. From puffins and razorbills to gannets and guillemots, terns galore and the Manx shearwaters – the summer means that we get to see these wonderful birds return to stay with us for a while.
But one bird that is, perhaps due to the popularity of some of the aforementioned birds, lesser talked about – is the storm petrel!
Smaller than a blackbird, but bigger than a sparrow - the storm petrel is a small black seabird with a distinctive white rump and rather rounded, stiffly-held wings – fluttering quickly in a bat-like fashion, with gliding intervals. In contrast to the Leach’s storm petrel, it has a square rather than forked tail. Like many a seabird, they feast on crustaceans and fish, and will travel in flocks following trawler boats. You’re probably more likely to see this bird from afar feeding on the waves - when they feed, they’ll hang with raised ‘V’ shaped wings and use their feet to patter on the waves, and sometimes they will settle on the sea. So, what role does Wales’ isles play in the lives of these interesting birds? Well, the storm petrel nests in crevices and burrows, with entrances sometimes shared with other seabirds (such as puffins or Manx shearwater) or rabbits - and lays a single white egg, usually on bare soil. And therefore, islands such as RSPB Ramsey Island, are perfect nesting havens for these little birds. Both birds will share the time of incubating the egg, along with feeding duties when the chick arrives. While we work as hard as ever to keep our islands free from invasive predators, storm petrels are also the predatory target of larger birds such as gulls, skuas and even owls and falcons who reside on islands. And while the burrows keep them safe from aerial dangers, life can remain tough for storm petrels underground also. Due to their small size, they can sometimes be killed by a puffin or Manx shearwater if they venture too close to their nesting territory. Storm petrels have poor mobility when it comes to walking on land – they will shuffle on their tarsi (middle and hind areas of the foot) and then use their wings for leverage to go on their toes when there is room. But while this may hold them back a bit, they do have quite another unique feature which helps them in their locating of nests in the night. They have large olfactory bulbs on their beaks which, unlike most birds, give them a good sense of smell. These olfactory bulbs help them to smell each other, as storm petrels share a musty aroma which is not only recognised by each other, but ornithologists who want to research them.
Alas, like many other migrating birds, with the end of the summer comes the farewell to the storm petrel. They will set off on an epic journey to the waters off South Africa and Namibia, spending the winter months there. So, if you’re keen to see these wonderful little seabirds, you’ll have to be quick and get the Welsh coastline soon!