A Guide to the Breeding Sea Birds

St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve

Kittiwake Phalacrocorax aristotelis

• A member of the gull family

• They spend their winter in the Atlantic, only coming to the coast to breed in summer

• They nest on steep cliffs in large groups - they will rebuild old nests and make new ones using vegetation and mud and will rebuild old nests

• They can be seen in Starney Bay, near the Lighthouse and at Nunnery Point (see reserve map)

• There are over 3,000 pairs breeding here, although the population has been in decline since the 1990’s – the colony count in 2013 was the lowest on record

St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve

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Can you hear? Kittiwakes say their own name, listen for loud groups screeching “kitt-i-waake”

Herring Gull Larus argentatus

• A member of the gull family

• They are a very adaptable scavenger and many birds winter inland in the UK feeding around rubbish tips

• They build a simple nest lined with feather and vegetation, there is normally a small territory around the nest which the males defend, nest are normally seen towards the tops of the guillemot colonies

• They can be seen in Starney Bay, near the Lighthouse and at Nunnery Point (see reserve map)

• Last year there were almost 200 pair nesting in the reserve – the population here has declined since the early 1990’s

St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve

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Present Present Present Present Eggs Chicks Chicks Present Present Present Present Present

Did you know? Herring gulls will pirate food from other birds, and chips from humans!

Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis

• The fulmar shares a family with the petrels and shearwaters and is more closely related to the albatrosses than the gulls

• They form monogamous pairs, returning to the same nest site each year, where they lay a single egg

• They breed at the edges in the colonies often in crevices towards the tops on the cliffs

• They can be seen near the Lighthouse and at Nunnery Point (see reserve map)

• We have just over 100 pairs breeding on the reserve, although the population here is in decline – the colony count in 2013 was the lowest on record

St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Present Present Present Present Eggs Eggs Chicks Chicks Present Present Present Present

Did you know? Fulmars chicks will spit a foul-smelling oily gastric juice if threatened

Shag Rissa tridactyla

• They share a family with Cormorants

• They usually stay close to their breeding site though out the year

• Shags build nests from twigs and seaweed and these can normally be found at the lower parts of the cliffs and in crevices

• They can be seen in Starney Bay, near the Lighthouse and at Nunnery Point (see reserve map)

• Last year just over 100 pairs nested on the cliffs in the reserve, the population is in decline, it peaked at 450 pairs in the early 1990’s

St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Present Present Present Eggs Eggs Chicks Chicks Present Present Present Present Present

Did you know? Shags feed on fish and crustaceans on the sea floor and can dive up to 45m

Guillemot Uria aalge

• A member of the auk family ‘The penguins of the Northern hemisphere’ – shared with razorbills

• They spend their whole lives at sea, only coming to land to breed

• They nest in huge groups on the cliff faces and lay a single pear-shaped egg directly on the ledge

• They can be seen in Starney Bay, near the Lighthouse and at Nunnery Point (see reserve map)

• They are the most numerous birds on the cliffs, there were around 33,000 individuals last year – there population is stable here

• They dive skilfully to catch fish and crustaceans, using their wings to ‘fly’ underwater and their feet for steering

Can you spot? The bridled form, the eye is circled with a white line which extends backwards

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St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve

Razorbill Alca torda

• A member of the auk family ‘The penguins of the Northern hemisphere’ – shared with guillemots

• Birds only come to shore to breed, and winter in the northern Atlantic

• They often nest at the edges of the guillemot colonies, preferring more sheltered broader ledges, they also use old kittiwake nests

• They can be seen in Starney Bay, near the Lighthouse and at Nunnery Point (see reserve map)

• In 2013 there were an estimated 1800 individuals – there population is stable here

• They dive skilfully to catch fish and crustaceans, using their wings to ‘fly’ underwater and their feet for steering

Did you know? Razorbill (and guillemot) chicks jump into the sea before then can fly

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

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St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve

Spot the difference

Guillemot Razorbill

• Their beak is long, thin and pointed

• They have dark brown plumage

• They nest in very large dense groups – they are the most numerous birds on the cliffs

• Their beak is thick and blunt

• They have jet black plumage

• They prefer to nest away from others, at the edges of the guillemot colonies

St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve