Puffin breeding sites at risk of being lost due to climate change
2 Min Read
Two factors are determining this devastating outcome: a decrease in access to food and an increase in prolonged periods of stormy weather.
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Climate change places Puffins at risk of losing breeding sites.
A report published by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the University of Cambridge revealed that the majority of puffin breeding sites in western Europe are at risk of being lost by the end of this century due to climate change.
Other marine birds that are likewise exposed to the danger of climate change include razorbills and arctic terns, which are predicted to lose 80% and 87% of their nesting grounds.
Two factors are determining this devastating outcome: a decrease in access to food and an increase in prolonged periods of stormy weather.
Using the expertise of 80 conservationists and policymakers across 15 European countries, the researchers have joined efforts in issuing a guide to protect 47 species that breed along the Atlantic coastline.
Looking at the specific needs of each species, the guide details how birds could be relocated to safer locations to be sheltered from heatwaves and plummeting fish populations.
Manmade nesting platforms are envisioned for gulls, whereas puffins will be encouraged to adapt to new breeding sites using model birds.
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"It is unthinkable that the Atlantic puffin, one of Europe’s most treasured seabirds, could disappear from our shores by the end of the century alongside other important marine bird species," said Henry Häkkinen, a ZSL postdoctoral fellow who led the redaction of the guide.
"These birds face double the challenges as they breed on land but rely on the sea for survival; by living across these two worlds, they are essential to both ecosystems and give us a glimpse into the health of wildlife in otherwise hard to monitor areas of the ocean, meaning their loss would impact countless other species and their conservation."
The project leader, Dr. Nathalie Pettorelli, a ZSL senior research fellow, added, "These seabird conservation guidelines – and the process behind them – provide a vital and transferable framework that can help align efforts to prioritise and implement evidence-based climate change adaptation practices to safeguard a future for the species most at risk."
"The time to act is now if we are to buffer species from the impacts of climate change.”
Did you know that Puffins beaks change colours with the season? They turn bright orange in Spring to attract partners for mating season.
— Hillwalk Tours (@HillwalkTours) December 7, 2022
🥾 Fife Coastal Path #puffin #wildlife #fifecoastalpath #scotland #hiking #hillwalktours pic.twitter.com/hnAsxNj392
Read more: Wildlife population drops 69% in under 50 years: Report
