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... that the geographical isolation and
the climate of the Faroe Islands are reflected in both flora and fauna and makes
it unique in many ways.
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... that something which first meets the eye of a traveller
is the lack of trees in the Faroes. Instead of trees the mountains are
covered mostly with grass – often described as "green felt"
which is “unbelievably green” in the summer. The native
vegetation of the islands consists only of about 400 different plant species, as
well as mosses and lichens. With the exception of some woody plants, the islands
have no natural trees or bushes. The reason for this
is because it is difficult for trees to set seed by themselves - partly because
of the geographical isolation, partly because of the harsh
climate and partly because of incipient budding plants being eaten by the
thousands of sheep that occupy the islands.
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... that over the decades trees from other oceanic climates
have been quite successfully introduced to the islands.
These trees have been planted in sheltered areas
and gardens, mostly in towns and villages - and thrive. Tórshavn and the bigger
villages are full of lush gardens with many trees.
(View
slideshow of trees in the village of Fuglafjørður, the island of Eysturoy here).
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… that there are some 2 million pairs of seabirds in the
Faroe Islands. There are 110 different species of birds. Including vagrants
during the last 150 years, over 260 species have been recorded. There are about
40 common breeding birds, including the seabirds Fulmar (600,000 pairs), Puffin
(550,000 pairs), Storm Petrel (250,000 pairs), Black-legged Kittiwake (230,000
pairs), Guillemot (175,000 pairs) and Manx Shearwater (25,000 pairs).
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… that the largest colony of storm petrels in the world is
located in the Faroes on the island of Nólsoy - the characterisitic small island
right outside Tórshavn, the capital.
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... that the the work of Danish researcher and bird life expert, Jens
Kjeld Jensen, has had great significance for the preservation of Faroese nature.
Jens Kjeld Jensen has been living in the island of Nólsoy since 1970. He has
tremendous knowledge about Faroese nature and animal life - especially bird
life. He also stuffs birds, found and delivered by other people. Visit
his own webpage: www.jens-kjeld.info
where some of the results of his individual research can be found. |
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… that there are about 70,000 grassing sheep on the Faroe Islands.
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… that the only wild mammals on land are hares, rats and
mice. Rats and mice still haven’t invaded some of the smaller islands which is
good for the storm petrels because rats are their worst enemy.
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... that 4 hares were imported in 1855 for hunting purposes.
The population has now grown to approximately 5,000 hares. Hunting season is
from 2. November to 31. December. |
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... that while there are no native land mammals on the
islands, the surrounding ocean is rich in cetaceans, porpoises and dolphins.
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... that the grey seal is the only pinniped species currently
breeding in the Faroes. This
resident species is distributed throughout the Faroes, most frequently in remote
areas
facing the sea. The bounty period in 1963-1967 resulted in 970 animals taken,
and the
population was then estimated to number 3,000. Today, the stock is probably
smaller although the exact number is unknown. Grey seals in the Faroes are a
nuisance to salmon farmers and some are shot every year. This protective
response may explain, however, why the stock has not increased considerably
during the last twenty years.
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... that the islands boast a natural wealth of fish. A total
of 170 fish species are found in Faroese waters. Many of these species occur,
however, in low abundance and are not exploited. Most common species are saithe,
cod, haddock, monkfish, norway pout, ling, tusk, redfish, greenland halibut,
blue ling and other. The Faroese Fisheries Research and BIOFAR specialists
currently intensively study the unique Faroe Bank fauna. |
Insects - Did You Know...
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… that until recently no wasps inhabited the islands. They
came with imported grass turf meant for football fields, and because of the
climate change they’re now able to survive the winter and reproduce. They are mostly
seen in the capital Tórshavn and in its vicinity. |
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… that the type of mosquitoes on the islands usually don’t
seem to like human blood so mosquito bites are very rare in the Faroe Islands. |
