Protecting the natural heritage in the Maltese islands (17)

The cliffs at Ta' Ċenċ reach a maximum height of 137.5 metres above sea level and constitute caves, crevices and fissures which provide an ideal nesting sites for seabirds. The cliffs support three species of seabirds that are listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive and Appendix II (Strictly Protected Fauna) of the Bern Convention:

• Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea);

• Yelkouan Shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan);

• European Storm-petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus).

These seabirds lay eggs and raise their chicks on narrow ledges in deep burrows and in crevices along the cliff face. Adults feed out at sea during the day and return to their nests during the night. The sea-cliffs at Ta' Ċenċ support the largest breeding colony of Cory's shearwater (800-1000 pairs) in the Maltese Islands, about 150-300 pairs of Yelkouan shearwater and less than 25 pairs of European storm-petrel. The latter species has been only recently discovered at Ta' Ċenċ since it was thought to be restricted to the islet of Filfla. The barn owl (Tyto alba) used to breed here in the 1970s. The sea cliffs at Ta' Ċenċ still offer an ideal nesting habitat for this raptor.

Mepa scheduled Ta' Ċenċ Important Bird Area as a Level 1 Site of Scientific Importance as per Government Notice No. 853/05 in the Government Gazette dated August 12, 2005.

A definition of certain terminology used above can be found on: http://www.mepa.org.mt/file.aspx?f=3438 .