Record numbers of unique bird now populating a tiny Welsh island

Wales Online

28-05-2025

Record numbers of unique bird now populating a tiny Welsh island
Skomer Island's puffin colony has previously been described as 'exceptional' by David Attenborough
A record number of puffins have been counted on Skomer Island
(Image: Mike Alexander / WTSWW )
A record number of puffins have been recorded on a small Welsh island famous for its wildlife. The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) counted 43,626 during its observation on Skomer Island, off the coast of Pembrokeshire, this year.
This record high bucks the trend of decline seen globally in puffin populations. A warden said that Skomer Island is an example of a "conservation success story" but warned that the species is still at risk.
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Puffins are listed as vulnerable to extinction on the global red list. Like many seabird species, they they are facing the pressures of pollution, food shortages and climate change.
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However, puffin numbers on Skomer Island have been steadily increasing over recent years, with over 40,000 birds now returning to the island from April to July. The last record was set in 2023, when 42,513 puffins were recorded on and around the island.
David Attenborough once described Skomer's puffin colony as an 'exception'
(Image: Jonathan Myers )
The growth in Skomer Island's population is likely linked to the abundance of food in the wider area, meaning there is plenty of fish for chicks resulting in high breeding success. The absence of rats and other predators on the island thanks to its isolation has also contributed to the success of seabird populations on Skomer.
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The treasured island has long been a pride and joy to the Welsh coastline, tucked away in Pembrokeshire. Skomer attracts visitors from all over the world alongside being a regular touring spot to discover vibrant wildlife in the country.
Even David Attenborough called the 40,000-strong puffin colony on the island "exceptional" compared to other parts of the world when he visited Skomer for BBC One series Wild Isles. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
Every year WTSWW undertakes their annual seabird counts to monitor the population of Puffins that return to the island every spring to breed.
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Leighton Newman, Skomer Island warden, said: "Our annual Puffin count is no small undertaking, with 6 members of staff working to count every Puffin on Skomer. The island is broken up into seven sections and we systematically count every bird; on the land, rafting on the sea and we estimate the number in the air during our counts.
"This is undertaken in the evening, when there are generally more Puffins around the island and early enough in the season that birds are not already in burrows. Big land falls this year, has led to Puffins being seen further up the cliffs than ever before!"
Over 40,000 puffins return to Skomer Island each spring
(Image: Getty Images )
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Lisa Morgan, Head of Islands and Marine Conservation at WTSWW, said: "It was a joy to see the masses of birds using the island during our spring count. However, we remain concerned about the increasing pressures on many seabird species.
"Novel threats facing our seabirds include avian influenza and the recent marine heatwave conditions experienced around parts of the UK coastline. The long-term impacts are still largely unknown highlighting the importance of our annual seabird monitoring and research programs on Skomer."