Breeds all around the coast of Ireland where suitable cliffs provide nesting opportunities, can also be seen at sea throughout the year. Commonest in the west of Ireland but still plentiful in the east. During the ‘Seabird 2000’ survey, nearly 40,000 nesting sites were counted.
Fulmar
Irish Name: | Fulmaire |
Scientific name: | Fulmarus glacialis |
Bird Family: | Tubenoses |
Conservation status
Status
Resident along all Irish coasts.
Identification
A gull-like bird with white underparts and pale grey upperparts. Also occurs in darker morphs ('Blue Fulmars'), which are commoner in the north of its range but not in Ireland. Has a thick neck and large head. Shows a pale primary patch on the upperwing. Does not show gull-like black tips to the primary feathers. Straight, stout bill with hooked tip and tube shaped nostrils on the upper mandible, giving distinctive bill shape if seen at close range. Nostrils used to excrete salt. Flies with very stiff wings, uses long glides at sea, with series of stiff, shallow wing beats. Hangs in the wind in the fierce updrafts generated by steep cliffs, where it can even fly backwards. Cannot stand upright, so needs to launch itself from a high ledge or patters along surface of sea to become airborne.
Voice
Vocal at the breeding colonies, with pairs cackling to one another with a guttural throaty series of "Ga, ga, ga ..." sounds.
Diet
A great variety of food taken including fish, discards from trawlers, crustaceans and whale flesh.
Breeding
A bird that has expanded its breeding range throughout Ireland over the last century, beginning in Mayo in 1911. Comes to land in the day, unlike its relatives the shearwaters and other petrels. Mainly breeds on sea cliffs, but will nest on level ground, on buildings and in burrows and crevasses. Will use both steep rocky cliffs, grassy cliffs and steep slopes above cliffs. Both incubating adults and chick use projectile vomiting as a defensive against predators, the oily stomach contents effectively fouling the plumage of other birds.
Wintering
Winters at sea, but can be seen in Irish waters throughout the year. Attends colonies in the winter sporadically, with breeding cliffs deserted one week and full the next.
Monitored by
Breeding seabirds are monitored through seabird surveys carried out every 15-20 years.
Blog posts about this bird
BirdWatch Ireland Nature Reserves to form part of Ireland’s first Marine National Park
Kittiwake. Photo: John Fox.
Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí was officially launched in Dingle on World Earth Day, with Jill Crosher from BirdWatch Ireland’s Corca Dhuibhne (West Kerry Gaeltacht) Branch serving as a proud local representative of BirdWatch Ireland at the event. In light of the announcement, CEO of BirdWatch Ireland Linda Lennon said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership on the new Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí. This area, including BirdWatch Ireland’s Puffin Island and Little Skellig Nature Reserves, provides vital breeding and feeding sites to some of our most iconic and endangered seabirds. At BirdWatch Ireland, we are strong believers in the power of collaboration when it comes to making real change for our birds and wider biodiversity. We look forward to embarking on this new journey with our partners the NPWS, the OPW and the Commissioners of Irish Lights.” Speaking at the launch, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan said: “With the iconic Conor Pass as the gateway, Ireland’s first Marine National Park brings mountains, blanket bog, heaths, rivers, coastal dunes, limestone reefs, sea cliffs and some of the wildest land and seascapes in the country together in celebration of nature. Alongside its seven sister parks, Páírc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí will be a flagship for the protection and restoration of these incredible places and the globally important array of wildlife that they are home to. The Páirc will also honour the island and coastal communities who live alongside it by ensuring that their unique tapestry of cultural and natural heritage is central to the future story of this special place.” Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Service said: “Our new park is a celebration of heritage in all its forms. Our biodiversity and natural heritage sit layered in harmony alongside monuments and historic wrecks from many periods. This is a place of iconic significance and majestic beauty. At times, shrouded in mist as a far outpost, ethereal in its past, evocative in its firing of the imagination, and vital in its biodiversity. Undoubtedly, a place of local pride and universal value. We look forward to working with our partners, the Office of Public Works, the National Monuments Service, the Commissioners for Irish Lights, Birdwatch Ireland, Kerry County Council and the local communities to realise a truly world-class National Park.”Gannet. Photo: Gerry Kerr.
Established in 1983, Puffin Island Nature Reserve off the southwest tip of Kerry is a summer home to many cliff- and burrow-nesting birds. As its name suggests, the island hosts many Puffins, with thousands of pairs of this Red-listed Bird of Conservation Concern nesting there every summer. The island also holds one of the largest colonies of Manx Shearwater in the country, with large numbers of Storm Petrel also breeding here. Fulmar, Guillemot and Razorbill are some of the many other species for which this site is important. Owned and managed by BirdWatch Ireland, Puffin Island Nature Reserve is already a Special Area of Protection (SPA) under the European Birds Directive and an Important Bird Area (IBA) as identified by BirdLife International. The inclusion of the reserve in Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara adds another layer of protection to this vitally important site for birds. The Little Skellig Nature Reserve is an iconic BirdWatch Ireland nature reserve famed for its colony of some 35,000 pairs of Gannets – the largest breeding colony in Ireland and among the largest in the world. There are also smaller numbers of Guillemot, Puffin and Kittiwake present. Both Little Skellig and the adjacent Skellig Michael are protected by a Special Protection Area, designated under the European Union Birds Directive. These islands also form one of Ireland’s Important Bird Areas. While seabirds are highly dependent on Puffin Island and Little Skellig in order to breed, they also rely on the surrounding seas as a food source so it is vitally important that they receive protection. The announcement of Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí is a step forward for seabirds, and the many other species that share these habitats with them.Spread your wings with a stay at Cape Clear Bird Observatory in 2024
Steve Wing
As the home of the Republic of Ireland’s only bird observatory and one of the best places in Europe to observe migratory seabirds and rarities, Cape Clear is a magnet for birdwatchers all around Ireland, and beyond. But what is it about this island that makes it such a haven for bird life? “It’s location, location, location basically,” Steve responded. Indeed, Cape Clear's remote island location on the southwestern coast and mild climate make it a hot spot for an abundance of species. Many of those who visit Cape Clear to birdwatch today are following in the footsteps of the “pioneers” who founded the Observatory, as Steve explained. On a visit to Cape Clear in 1959, a group of young birdwatchers from England discovered many rarities and noted the potential Cape Clear Island offered for observing bird migration. Owing to their enthusiasm and a subsequent anonymous donation, the wheels were set in motion for the establishment of the Bird Observatory we know today. In 2000, Cape Clear Bird Observatory came under the ownership of BirdWatch Ireland, just two years after Steve took up his post. You can read more about the history of Cape Clear here.Steve Wing Cape Clear Wildlife Officer in doorway of CCBO. Photo: Brian Caffrey
Steve’s work at Cape Clear varies, depending on the time of year. Between April and September, he is kept busy running his extremely popular “Wildlife Weekends” – short and interactive courses suitable for the beginner birder right up to the seasoned twitcher. “When I am doing the courses, I am 100 percent with the people from the minute I wake up to the moment I go to bed. Whatever I am doing, they will get a chance to do. I take them for walks, do some ringing with them and tell them more about birds and Cape Clear in general. You're not sitting in a classroom, you're walking and talking and learning all the time,” he explained. “Participants will learn how to identify birds by looking at things like bill shape, the size of the bird, the colour, what they’re feeding on and their location. They will learn some basic birdwatching knowledge and a little bit of fieldcraft, and, of course, get plenty of enjoyment. There is the social side to the weekend, too. Every evening, we go to the pub and discuss what has happened during the day. If people leave here happy, have had a good time and want to come back, it’s a success in my eyes.” In addition to Steve’s Wildlife Weekends, Cape Clear also plays host to the week-long “Seabirds to Songbirds” courses led by Dick Coombes. Through these courses, which will take place on two dates in 2024, participants will gain an insight into the world of migration and the joys of sea-watching.Cory's Shearwater. Photo: Artie Kopelman
When the guests have packed their bags and set sail for the mainland, Steve returns to his work on the island. There’s no such thing as a typical day, however, as his activities tend to shift with the changing weather and seasons. In late summer and early autumn, he might sit on the cliffs and monitor the seabirds – an activity known as seawatching. If the weather is calm and there are birds around, he might open the nets to do some ringing. To date, approximately 23,000 individual birds have been ringed on Cape Clear, Steve said, adding that it is a job he feels extremely lucky to carry out. “It is a total privilege to be able to hold on to a bird and show people the topography of it, how the feathers work and why the bill shape liked that. It is a lot easier to see close up. To see the look of awe on kids’ faces when they see a Robin or Blue Tit is fantastic. They're amazed,” he said. “Ringing itself is wonderful always but it’s always nice to catch something that’s rare, like a Golden Oriole, for example. Anything you catch that you're not expecting to is a bonus.” Information gathered from ringing and monitoring work has taught us a lot about how bird populations are faring on the island. For example, as Steve explained, Herring Gull numbers on the island have declined dramatically in recent years, likely due to a combination of factors including overfishing. Meanwhile, Fulmar numbers have risen as many have taken over former Herring Gull breeding sites. “Song Thrushes seem to be doing incredibly well around here, whereas around most of the rest of Europe they are declining. Maybe it is the fact there aren’t so many pesticides being used here. We don’t know for sure,” continued Steve. “We seem to be getting more Mediterranean seabirds also. Last year, I had a record year for Cory Shearwaters for the whole south coast of Ireland. We had tens of thousands coming through.” Ringing also gives us information about migration routes. We now know that some of the birds recorded on Cape Clear have travelled a tremendous distance to be there.Sedge Warbler. Photo: Clive Timmons.
“I caught three adult Sedge Warblers in 2017 and up until three years ago, I was still catching two of the three when they returned to Cape after wintering in Gambia and Senegal. We did a very quick rough estimate on Google Maps and realised that these birds had pretty much done a circumnavigation of the planet in their lifetimes. It's an amazing feat for these tiny birds the size of Robins.” While Steve’s Wildlife Weekends are now fully booked for 2024 and only a limited number of places remain on the “Seabirds to Songbirds” courses, it is still possible to visit Cape Clear and experience the natural wonders that it holds. From April 8th, members of the public can take the boat from Baltimore and stay in the Bird Observatory’s self-catering style accommodation in shared dorms. For more information and to book, visit the BirdWatch Ireland website. Regardless of whether you visit Cape Clear for a course or on a self-guided trip, alone or with friends, you are sure to depart with additional knowledge and a renewed appreciation for Ireland’s bird life. “Capers say Ireland is the island off Cape and that this is the best place in Ireland to be. If you visit, you will learn a lot about the birds, you will learn more about the general art of birdwatching and hopefully, you will get to appreciate what a beautiful place Cape is. Come with an open mind. You are sure to learn something.” Find our more about and book a Cape Clear course in 2024.