Fewer seabirds return to Scotland after flu outbreak
Researchers are continuing to count and monitor the activities of the birds.
Some seabird species that were hit by an outbreak of avian influenza last year have begun to return to Scotland this breeding season, but in significantly lower numbers.
The research, by NatureScot and its partners, suggests that the great skua has been the hardest hit, with an estimated 90 per cent of the population on Hermaness being lost. Sixty per cent of the great skua breeding population is supported in Scotland.
In response to the drop in population, ringing and researching the great skua has been temporarily suspended to minimise disturbance of the remaining population.
The behaviour of terns is also being closely monitored, as researchers report unusual behaviours from the birds.
The study shows fewer terns have returned to Scottish sites than usual, and those that have returned came later than expected. Nesting was also late, and in many places the terns have not nested at all.
NatureScot is viewing the situation with ‘cautious optimism’, as the death rate has dropped since last summer and affected species are beginning to return.
The latest outbreak of the virus has largely affected breeding colonies in the south of the UK, where at least 10,000 black-headed gulls are estimated to have died of the virus.
NatureScot says it is currently unclear why this outbreak is not affecting colonies in Scotland.
Researchers are continuing to count and monitor the activities of the birds, as well as conducting targeted surveys of breeding seabirds to better understand the impact of the outbreak.
Alastair MacGugan, a NatureScot wildlife manager, said: “It is too soon to draw firm conclusions about the impact of last year’s terrible losses, but the low numbers of great skua and terns returning to our shores is certainly concerning and something we are keeping a very close watch on.
“The good news is that, in Scotland at least, we are not seeing the large numbers of dead birds around breeding sites that we did last year. This may mean that the remaining birds have gained some level of immunity to the virus. If so, then there is cause for optimism as populations may begin to slowly replace the losses that occurred last year.”
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