Helgoland is Germany's only deep-sea island. That is why Helgoland is home to breeding birds that can otherwise only be found in Scandinavia or Great Britain: Common guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, gannets and kittiwakes. All these species breed on Helgoland, sometimes in large numbers.

The spectacle on the bird cliffs with guillemots flying in and out, screeching kittiwakes and, above all, the breeding gannets at close range is an unforgettable experience in spring.

Gannets have an annual breeding season, from April to July. They build their nest from garbage, water plants and seaweed. When collecting and depositing nesting material, they unfortunately get tangled up far too often. Old and young birds get tangled up in strings and die an agonizing death.