At the cliff

Birds that nest on cliffs live in some of the harshest environments imaginable. Their adaptation fascinates observers. For example, guillemots lay conical eggs which do not roll off the narrow ledges. During the breeding season in spring and early summer, the colonies are an incredible spectacle. After the “guillemot jump”, in which the young - still incapable of flying - plunge dozens of metres off the cliffs and into the depths, the birds spend the rest of the year at sea.

The topmost cliff level is occupied by the gannet colony. The colony is densely packed, with nest spacing just above the tolerance threshold. Nevertheless, nesting material is eagerly stolen from each other. Neighbours approaching but not precisely hitting their own nest (and often landing on their partner) are chased away with loud shouting and threatening beaks. And yet: there is hardly a courtship and love dance in the bird world that is as impressive and admirable as that of the gannet.

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Shorebirds

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Waterfowl