As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Wednesday 24 January 2018

First steps taken to tackle Puffin decline

29/11/2017

Project Puffin, a new RSPB initiative, has taken the first steps in explaining why some British Puffin colonies in are in dramatic decline. Scientists analysed more than 1,400 photos sent in by the public, helping them to build a better picture of what these seabirds are feeding their chicks

Britain’s coastlines come alive each spring with the sight, sound and smell of Puffins nesting and raising their young, known as ‘pufflings’. With their bright orange bills and distinctive eye markings, Puffins are hugely popular with birders and the general public alike, and hot-spots in Britain and Ireland attract visitors from all over the world to photograph these bustling colonies. However, in recent years the species’ numbers have plummeted in some areas, and experts estimate that without help more than half the global Puffin population will disappear within the next 40 years.

This summer RSPB scientists set out to understand more about the differing fortunes of Puffins around our coasts. They launched Project Puffin, which aimed to provide a snapshot of what the birds are feeding their young at as many colonies as possible, as it is thought that the food supply has been negatively impacted by warming seas and shifting ocean currents. By enlisting the help of the public, 1,402 photos of Puffins bringing food to their chicks were sent to the team.

From May to August, 602 people supplied 1,402 photos of Puffins taking food to their chicks. Pictures came from almost 40 colonies around Britain, including those on the Farne Islands, Skomer and the Isle of May. The project is supported by Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland thanks to money raised by National Lottery players. To see more photos and to learn about the RSPB’s Project Puffin, visit www.rspb.org.uk/projectpuffin.


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