Five UK Seabirds Added To Red List Of Birds At Risk
Five more seabird species have been added to the UK's "red list" of birds at the greatest risk, highlighting a growing crisis for the nation's seabird populations.
The newly listed species include the Arctic tern, known for its remarkable migrations, the great skua, infamous for its piratical behaviour, and two types of gull. They join existing red-listed species such as the puffin and the kittiwake, bringing the total number of seabirds on the list to ten.
UK sees impact of climate change, overfishing and disease on bird populations
The UK, an island nation, has long been a crucial breeding ground for seabirds, with massive colonies nesting on its cliffs. However, these populations are now plummeting due to a range of threats including climate change, overfishing, and disease.
Katie-jo Luxton, global conservation director for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), expressed alarm at the growing number of seabirds on the red list, stating, "This latest health check on our seabird populations reveals devastating declines. We need urgent action from our governments to address this dire situation."
The situation has worsened significantly due to outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), particularly affecting species like the great skua. These recent additions to the red list were assessed using data from the latest national seabird census, along with ongoing monitoring by conservation organisations like the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).
The red list now includes 73 of the 245 bird species regularly seen in the UK, a concerning 30%. The seabirds' struggles are exacerbated by habitat loss due to offshore energy developments, the depletion of fish stocks they depend on, and the encroachment of invasive predators.
Shag and Black Guillemot move up the list thanks to conservation efforts
However, not all the news is grim. Some seabirds have shown signs of recovery, with the shag moving from the red to the amber list and the black guillemot now on the green list, thanks to better protection measures.
Conservationists are hopeful that with continued efforts, such as the closure of Sandeel fisheries by the UK and Scottish Governments and the removal of invasive species from key islands, more seabirds can be saved from the brink.
David Noble, principal ecologist at the BTO, emphasised the importance of ongoing monitoring to track the impact of these conservation actions.
"Seabirds are an iconic part of our coastal nature," Noble said. "Continued monitoring, by volunteers as well as professionals, is essential to provide timely evidence of the impact of these and other threats, and to assess the effectiveness of any conservation actions."
As efforts to protect these species ramp up, there is cautious optimism that the fortunes of the UK’s seabirds might yet be turned around. But the message is clear: without urgent, sustained action, these iconic birds face an increasingly uncertain future.
