Summary
Puffins on Skomer Island off the coast of Pembrokeshire are thriving, with a record count of 43,626 birds this year. While puffin numbers are declining worldwide, the island's puffins have benefited from a food supply and lack of predators.
Key Facts
- Conservationists counted 43,626 puffins on Skomer Island this year, setting a new record.
- Skomer Island is managed by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales.
- The island's isolation helps protect puffins from predators like rats and cats.
- Skomer is also home to other seabirds, including 350,000 manx shearwaters.
- The annual puffin count is conducted by six staff members in the evening.
- The global puffin population is listed as vulnerable to extinction due to threats like pollution and climate change.
- Skomer's puffins benefit from a good food supply and predator protection.
- Around 25,000 visitors come to Skomer Island each year to see the seabirds.
