---
title: "Monitoring Manx Shearwaters, Arctic Fulmars and European Storm Petrels on Skokholm Island"
---

# Monitoring Manx Shearwaters, Arctic Fulmars and European Storm Petrels on Skokholm Island

 

  The 106-ha island of [Skokholm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skokholm) lies off the coast of Pembrokeshire in Wales.  It first operated as a bird observatory in 1933, and is currently owned and administered by [The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales](http://welshwildlife.org/).

 The observatory’s seabird report for 2015 is now available.  It gives detailed information of ongoing monitoring of the island’s breeding populations of Manx Shearwaters *Puffinus puffinus* (the World’s third largest), Arctic Fulmars *Fulmarus glacialis* and European Storm Petrels *Hydrobates pelagicus*.

 ![](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/Shearwaters/Manx chick Scillies Jaclyn Pearson s.jpg)

 Manx Shearwater chick approaching fledging, photograph by Jaclyn Pearson

  Skokholm is a [Site of Special Scientific Interest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Site_of_Special_Scientific_Interest).  The surrounding waters are a marine reserve and together form part of the [Pembrokeshire Coast National Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pembrokeshire_Coast_National_Park).  The island became a national nature reserve in December 2008.  Along with the nearby island of [Skomer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skomer) the island is an [Important Bird Area](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sitefactsheet.php?id=2594) designated by [BirdLife International](http://www.birdlife.org/).

 **Reference:**

 [Anon 2015]. [Skokholm Bird Observatory Seabird Report 2015](http://welshwildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Skokholm-Seabird-Report-2015.pdf).  [Bridgend]: The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales.  50 pp.

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 07 January 2016*