"Much of the island group is covered by sparse growth of mixed vegetation dominated by the fleshy herb Mesembryanthemum (fig marigold/icicle plants). Tetragonia (Duneweed) and Chenopodium (Goosefoot) form localised thickets that provide cover for some seabirds," the fact sheet says.
Aquatic animals include for example the seabirds, such as gulls (family Laridae), pelicans (family Pelecanidae), and albatrosses (family Diomedeidae), and most of the Anseriformes (ducks, swans and geese).
Friends of the Earth campaigner and Green Party candidate Anthony Bown claimed it would disturb large numbers of seabirds on the Taw and Torridge Estuary, along with the habitat of endangered otters.
The area is rich in wildlife, boasting large numbers of red deer, roe deer, wild goats, otters, common and grey seals, seabirds such as cormorants and oystercatchers and also Lepidoptera, with peacock and speckled wood butterflies being a common sight.
The finnstick is especially useful when watching migration (E.G. seabirds, raptors) when the horizon may be scanned literally for hours to find migrant birds.
They actively take the eggs of smaller seabirds such as those of White Tern (Gygis alba) and the endemic Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis).
As the last remaining home of the near-extinct Seychelles Warbler and as an important breeding site for seabirds, Cousin was purchased by the International Council for Bird Preservation (which later became Birdlife International) in 1968, and established as a nature reserve.
On Mincarlo he recorded the following spiders; Trochosa terricola, Oedothorax fuscus, Lepthyphantes tenuis, Dismodicus bifrons, Xysticus kochi and Halorates reprobus which is associated with the nests of seabirds, especially cormorant and shag.
The sediments that have yielded Pelagiarctos have also yielded numerous other species of ocean-going vertebrates, including sharks (Isurus, Sphyrna, Carcharocles), turtles (Psephophorus), seabirds (Osteodontornis, Diomedea, Puffinus), Cetaceans (Prosqualodon, Aulophyseter, Parietobalaena) and other pinnipeds (Allodesmus, Neotherium).
Many people living in the community enjoy hunting different species of seabirds, such as Eider Ducks and Murres (Turres).
Sandeels are an important food source for seabirds, including puffins and kittiwakes.
In 1965 there were 56 seabirds sailing regularly, mainly at Trearddur Bay (24 boats), Abersoch (21 boats), 6 boats at West Cheshire Sailing Club on the Mersey and single boats at Holyhead, Rhyl and Conway, although Cormorant, number 9, was being used as a fishing boat out of Liverpool docks.
Noteworthy fauna includes several species of seabirds, including the Red-footed Booby (Sula sula), Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor), Lesser Frigatebird (F. ariel), Black Noddy (Anous minutus), White Tern (Gygis alba), Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra), Brown Booby (S. leucogaster) and Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus).
During the cleanup operation after the beaching of the MSC Napoli cargo ship off the coast of Devon in January 2007, the majority of seabirds covered in oil were sent to the West Hatch RSPCA to be cleaned.