The shorelines and cliffs
are breeding grounds for terns, gulls and kittiwakes.
Double- crested cormorants, razorbills and black
guillemots also call the islands home. Of the
200 species of birds, the Atlantic Puffin with
its exotic bobbing head and brightly coloured
beak is certainly the most visible. The sea
currents make for a nutrient rich aquatic habitat
and the smallness of the island (150 square
kilometres) reduces the number of their predators.
The archipelago is an important wintering area
for ducks. The Common Eider is the most familiar
species found along the shores. The male has
brilliant white, black and yellow plumage in
contrast to its mateŽs duller coat that provides
camouflage when she is nesting. Grey seals,
harbour seals and harp seals can generally be
seen from as early as May. Nine species of whales
are attracted by the abundance of plankton and
fish in the island waters. Minke whales travel
in groups of two to five close to the shore
where they can be observed, while farther out,
common porpoise, the blue whale, humpback whale,
an endangered species, and the fin whale feed
at greater depths. The many species of land
animals include beaver, river otter, muskrat,
red squirrel, snowshoe hare, red fox, weasel,
bats and rodents. Warblers, sparrows, sandpipers
and yellowlegs are only a sampling of the woodland
birds of the boreal forests and rocky shores.
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