Our seabirds are taking flight

THE seabird populations of Scotland have declined over the last decade and a report just issued confirms numbers are continuing to fall. According to Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), there may be 46% fewer seabirds now than there were in 1986 when systematic monitoring began.

Of 11 species assessed in 2012, only two had held their own since the previous estimate. The number of chicks produced per nesting pair has also fallen. It’s down 24% since 2000.

During the breeding season, Scotland and Ireland are hosts to birds from all over the North Atlantic. Huge seabird cities form on islands and mainland cliffs. The gannet colony on St Kilda is the largest in the world. Ornithologists count the birds and measure their reproductive performance. Scotland has 24 breeding species but most are impossible to census accurately. The SNH report covers only species for which reliable figures could be obtained.