Fears that birds are in ‘Star Wars’ firing line

The latest Star Wars movie could get a working subtitle, ‘War of the Birds’, as concern grows about the impact of filming on wildlife on Skellig Michael.

Unesco has designated the Kerry island as a world heritage site and it is questioning who gave the green light for the filming — which entered its second day yesterday — amid a seabird colony of around 10,000 pairs of storm petrels and large numbers of puffins and other birds.

Birdwatch Ireland is also unhappy about having the shoot during the birds’ breeding season and it is concerned about possible damage to chicks and eggs in underground nests.