Yelkouan Shearwater fledglings downed by lights in Malta get rescued and released

This year is proving to be a record year for stranded globally Vulnerable Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan in Malta with nine fledglings recovered by members of the public during June and July following an appeal.    The birds had become disorientated due to light pollution; after capture they were released by BirdLife Malta's LIFE Arċipelagu Garnija project team.  “During this period, the young seabirds fledge from their nests in the cliffs at night for the first time.  However, bright coastal lights leave them disorientated and some of them become stranded inland in urban areas, unable to fly back out to sea”.

Yelkouan Shearwater, photograph by Matthew Borg Cardona

Click on the video to watch some of the releases.

“The Maltese Islands are home to approximately 10% of the global population of this seabird species, therefore their protection is important on the global scale, especially with the drastic declines Yelkouan Shearwaters have been facing over the last decades.”

Read more here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 08 August 2018