The Mediterranean wind-chaser: the Yelkouan Shearwater

The Mediterranean Sea is home to many marine species, but few of its inhabitants are as captivating as the Yelkouan Shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan).
Its name derives from the Turkish word “Yelkovan”, meaning “wind chaser”, a fitting tribute to this graceful black-and-white seabird that glides effortlessly over the waves.

Currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the Yelkouan Shearwater nests mainly on rocky coastal and offshore islands and islets scattered from southern France and eastern Algeria to Greece and Bulgaria.

Historically, the species suffered greatly from human exploitation: hunted for its eggs, meat, and chick fat, and even used as fish bait. Over the past 60 years, nine colonies have vanished, and many of those remaining experience alarmingly low breeding success and adult survival rates.

Many Yealkouan Shearwaters seasonally migrate to the Black Sea, taking advantage of its rich fishing grounds. Some of the young birds, however, take a different route, which leads them to the island of Lemnos, in Greece.

Lemnos Island is a stunning landscape shaped by volcanic forces, where coastal and marine ecosystems, wetlands, grasslands, remnants of ancient forests, and farmlands converge.

Its surrounding waters play a crucial role in the early life of Yelkouan Shearwaters’ chicks, providing a safe training ground to learn to find food, identify suitable feeding areas, navigate migration routes, and strengthen their wings for long-distance travel.

Unfortunately, Lemnos Island’s habitats are degrading rapidly, due to the pressure of several threats, including unregulated touristic activities, illegal construction and a recent increase in tourism. To reverse this decline, our Greek Partner, the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS), has partnered with us and other Greek organizations (iSEA and the Municipality of Lemnos) and launched the Lemnos Seascape Restoration Project. The project is supported by the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme (ELSP),  managed by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative in partnership with Arcadia.

“Conservation actions undertaken through other projects, during which Yelkouan Shearwater fledglings were tagged, have provided vital information showing the use of the Aegean waters during different breeding stages of the species. Tracking data exhibit the significant link between breeding and foraging grounds and the crucial importance of marine protected areas identification.” says Danae Portolou, Marine and Monitoring Programmes Coordinator at HOS.

Close collaboration with local communities and stakeholders is at the forefront of the project, which aims to protect and revive the island’s fragile ecosystems. Among other measures, it will safeguard marine and coastal habitats, restore endangered wildlife, such as seabirds, by reducing bycatch, and remove invasive alien species that threaten local biodiversity. Equally important, it seeks to empower Lemnos’s 16,000 residents through community-led restoration efforts that strengthen both livelihoods and the environment.

The fate of Yelkouan Shearwaters is closely linked to that of Lemnos. Restoring the island’s wetlands and seas means giving this “wind chaser” and many other species a chance to thrive again.

By protecting Lemnos’s natural heritage, we also secure a healthier, more sustainable future for nature and the people who call it home.

Photo: Shutterstock