South Stack Cliffs RSPB reserve is a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

, run by the

RSPB The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a charitable organisation registered in England and Wales and in Scotland. It was founded in 1889. It works to promote conservation and protection of birds and the wider environment throu ...

, on Holy Island on the North West coast of

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a Local government in Wales, principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strai ...

, Wales. The reserve is on sea cliffs facing the islet of

South Stack South Stack ( cy, Ynys Lawd) is an island situated just off Holy Island on the northwest coast of Anglesey, Wales. Geology South Stack is an island known as a sea stack. It was formed by the wave erosion of sedimentary rocks that once con ...

, and is crossed by the Anglesey Coastal Path. There is an information centre based in

Elin's Tower Elin's Tower ( cy, Tŵr Elin) is a Victorian stone tower on Holy Island, located around west of Holyhead. The castellated folly, which was originally used as a summer house, was built between 1820 and 1850 for the notable Stanley family from ...

in the reserve. It is best known for its breeding seabirds, including

puffins Puffins are any of three species of small alcids ( auks) in the bird genus ''Fratercula''. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in cre ...

razorbill The razorbill, razor-billed auk, or lesser auk (''Alca torda'') is a colonial seabird and the only extant member of the genus '' Alca'' of the family Alcidae, the auks. It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk (''Pinguinis i ...

s, guillemots, kittiwakes and

fulmar The fulmars are tubenosed seabirds of the family Procellariidae. The family consists of two extant species and two extinct fossil species from the Miocene. Fulmars superficially resemble gulls, but are readily distinguished by their flight o ...

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey ( raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey ...

common kestrel The common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus'') is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In the United Kingdom, where no ...

s and choughs also nest on the cliffs. The area is famous for its rare bird species, such as

black lark The black lark (''Melanocorypha yeltoniensis'') is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in south-eastern Russia and Kazakhstan. Taxonomy and systematics The black lark was originally placed in the genus ''Alauda''. The current genus ...

and grey catbird and fascinating geology. South Stack Cliffs RSPB reserve also helps to conserve the

silver-studded blue The silver-studded blue (''Plebejus argus'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It has bright blue wings rimmed in black with white edges and silver spots on its hindwings, lending it the name of the silver-studded blue. ''P. argus'' can be ...

butterfly ''Plebejus'' ''argus'' found on the reserve in Spring. The Spathulate fleawort, a subspecies of field fleawort, a small yellow flower, is only found here, in the whole world. Image:Southstack.JPG, The reserve entrance, with

Herring gull Herring gull is a common name for several birds in the genus '' Larus'', all formerly treated as a single species. Three species are still combined in some taxonomies: * American herring gull (''Larus smithsonianus'') - North America * European ...

Image:Sstackauk27.jpg, Guillemots on the breeding ledges

References

External links

RSPB South Stack Cliffs
South Stack Cliffs Nature reserves in Anglesey Trearddur {{Anglesey-geo-stub