Facts about the birds:

The number of seabirds found in the Faroe Islands is impressive. Scientist have estimated that there are some 2 million pairs. To observe the bird life here is certainly one of the main reasons visitors come to our islands.

 

Food
Among the various seabirds populations in the Faroes, there is considerable variance in habitat, life cycle and especially in how they forage for food. For example, Kittiwakes, Fulmars and Storm Petrels hunt for food on the surface of the ocean for they are unable to dive. Gannets and Terns, on the other hand, are able to dive below the surface, while Puffins, Razorbills and Guillemots and Shags, however, stay close in to the shore for the most part and may dive down to the bottom to forage. The Skuas are considered the most opportunistic of foragers and are not above stealing food from other seabirds.

 

Breeding
All seabirds lay their eggs and brood on land, thus they must come ashore during the breeding season. Here in the Faroes, you will discover Guillemots, Kittiwakes, and Puffins all gathering during the season to breed in large colonies, each species claiming their own part of the cliffs.

 

Migration
As soon as the chicks fledge, the seabirds disperse back to sea. Most seabirds migrate long distances in winter. For example, the Faroese Guillemots can be found off the coast of Norway and in the North Sea, while a part of the English and Icelandic Guillemots populations come our way. Razorbills from Iceland and Little Auks from further north also appear here in the winter. Gannets are present in the North Atlantic all year round, but some, especially the young, will fly south all the way to North Africa's west coast.

 

Population Size
The largest change in recent times is felt to be the veritable invasion of the Fulmars in the early 19th century. The population has been steadily growing but on some locations there has been a slight decrease. Fluctuations in the seabirds population stem from a variety of natural causes, and in general the populations have seen a decrease since the late 1950s. In the 1980s and early 1990s there was a low food production in the seas around the Faroes Islands. This decline was noted among the seabirds populations and not least in Faroese society as a whole, for the fisheries in subsequent years was especially limited.

 

Hunting
For hundreds of years, seabirds were of great importance to Faroese households as a source of nourishing food. Guillemots and Puffins especially were abundant and provided many a tasty meal for the Faroese. Gannets and the young of Gulls, Kittiwakes, Shags and Manx Shearwaters were also caught. The gaming legislation has reduced the hunting pressure. Today, primarily Fulmars and, to a lesser extent, Puffins are caught.

 

Threats
Seabirds are very vulnerable when ashore. Therefor, during the breeding season, they usually situate their nests in nearly inaccessible nooks and ledges on the cliff face. Puffins, Manx Shearwaters and Storm Petrels have suffered severely from the menacing rat wherever it has gained a foothold. All should be on their guard to ensure that the rat population does not spread any further.

Source: visit-faroeislands.com