UK Seabirds in Crisis as Five New Species Added to Red List Amid Dire Conservation Concerns

The UK seabirds crisis has deepened, with five more species now added to the red list of birds in most need of conservation. This alarming development includes the Arctic tern, famed for its incredible migration, and the great skua, known as the ‘pirate of the sea.’ The newly red-listed seabirds join others like the puffin, highlighting a growing concern for these coastal birds’ survival amid mounting threats.

The UK is renowned for its vast colonies of seabirds that nest along its cliff-lined coastlines. However, these populations are in rapid decline due to a combination of factors, including climate change, unsustainable fishing practices, habitat loss, and the impact of offshore renewable energy developments. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has called for urgent government intervention, describing the current state as “a dire situation.”

“As an island nation, it is perhaps not surprising that we are globally important for seabird populations,” said Katie-jo Luxton, RSPB’s global conservation director. “But what has really shocked us is the sheer number of our seabird species now on the red list.”

Of the 26 seabird species that breed on the UK’s coastlines and islands, 10 are now on the red list. The five recent additions are:

• Great black-backed gull: A large gull with distinctive black wings and a powerful beak, commonly nesting on clifftops, rooftops, and islands around the UK coast.
• Great skua: Known as the pirate of the seas for its habit of stealing from other birds, this seabird has been severely affected by avian flu.
• Leach’s storm petrel: An elusive species that nests on offshore islands, mainly along Scotland’s north-west coast.
• Common gull: Despite its name, this medium-sized gull is scarcer than expected, breeding around lakes in northern England and Scotland.
• Arctic tern: A coastal bird with white feathers and a black cap, known for its long migration from the UK to the Antarctic each winter.

These additions join the puffin, kittiwake, herring gull, roseate tern, and arctic skua, which were already on the red list. The Seabirds Count, the UK’s most extensive seabird census in 20 years, revealed that 62% of UK seabird species are in decline, with kittiwake and common gull populations dropping nearly 50% and puffins down by a quarter.

Dawn Balmer, surveys head at the British Trust for Ornithology, expressed deep concern over these figures, stating, “We should be really concerned about this because the UK is really important for breeding seabirds.”

Jean Duggan, RSPB marine policy officer, echoed these sentiments, describing the situation as a “wake-up call” for conservation. “It’s not just about safeguarding these species for ourselves at home, it’s also about protecting global populations and preventing future extinctions,” she said.

There is some positive news, with the shag moving from the red list to amber and the black guillemot from amber to green. However, of the 245 bird species regularly seen in the UK, including farmland, woodland, and garden birds, 73 (30%) are now on the red list.

The urgent call to action from conservationists stresses the need for better protection measures, such as creating marine protected areas and improving sustainable fishing practices, to halt these declines and safeguard the future of the UK’s seabirds.

for more information and updates visit the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)