More than half the seabird species breeding on British and Irish coasts have declined over the last 20 years, according to the most comprehensive census to date. Eleven of 21 nesting seabirds species have fallen, five species have remained stable and five have increased, some because of targeted conservation work, according to the Seabirds Count […]
Tag: Puffin
Bird study shows Europe’s nature in ‘dire straits’
Nearly four in 10 of Europe’s bird species are now of conservation concern—including 14% of global concern—according to researchers, who say the continent’s nature is in dire straits. The finding, is revealed in the peer-reviewed journal Bird Conservation International, published, by Cambridge University Press, on behalf of BirdLife International. It comes after the European Parliament […]
Avian flu may have killed millions of birds globally as outbreak ravages South America
Millions of wild birds may have died from bird flu globally in the latest outbreak, researchers have said, as the viral disease ravages South America, with 200,000 deaths recorded in Peru alone. The highly infectious variant of H5N1, which gained momentum in the winter of 2021, caused Europe’s worst bird flu outbreak before spreading globally. […]
Marine heat waves caused mass seabird die-offs, beach surveys show
Seabirds, from cormorants to puffins, spend most of their lives at sea. Beloved by birdwatchers, these animals can be hard to study because they spend so much time far from shore. New research led by the University of Washington uses data collected by coastal residents along beaches from central California to Alaska to understand how […]
Locals Are Saving Puffins in Iceland By Throwing Them off Clifftops
Puffins are a national treasure in Iceland, and the Westland Islands, located off the southern coast of Iceland, have the world’s largest puffin colony. However, in recent years, their numbers have been dwindling due to several factors, such as climate change, overfishing, pollution, and difficulty finding food. Due to increasingly warm sea temperatures, reduced populations […]
Puffin nesting sites in western Europe could be lost by end of century
The majority of puffin nesting sites in western Europe are likely to be lost by the end of the century due to climate breakdown, a report has warned. Other seabirds will also be affected unless urgent action to limit global heating is taken, with razorbills and arctic terns forecast to lose 80% and 87% of […]
Rare UK seabirds put at risk by ‘alarming loophole’, say campaigners
The government has given itself an “alarming loophole” to avoid protecting seabirds including puffins and gannets, a leaked document shows. Campaigners have accused ministers of “giving up” on the UK’s seabirds as they plan to apply for an exemption to a legal duty to protect the rare species. Each year the government sets itself targets […]
Scientists investigate hundreds of guillemot deaths on UK coastline
Several hundred seabirds have been found dead along the coasts of north-east England and Scotland, while many have been discovered emaciated. The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), which is investigating the cause of the deaths, said the majority of the birds were guillemots. Bird carcasses have been found along the Scottish coastline and […]